Street Squad: 'Wrong' Tollway Sign

DALLAS - FOX 4’s Street Squad reporter James Rose found a sign near the Dallas North Tollway’s Wycliff interchange that could possibly make drivers think an off ramp is actually an on ramp.

The Department of Public Safety reports all eight of the wrong-way crashes on the tollway last year were alcohol related. Could a simple sign could have contributed by sending the wrong message?

“It is a wrong sign! It’s absolutely wrong. And it should not be there,” said FOX 4 viewer Mary Bonnick.

The sign she is talking about is on Wycliff Avenue near Brown Street. It says the Dallas North Tollway is at the next signal.

Immediately following the sign there is a left-turn lane that is meant for traffic turning onto Brown Street. But the tollway exit ramp is only yards away.

“If you don't know were you are going, if you impaired because you've been drinking or you've got too much on your mind, you could just look at that sign and turn left at the exit ramp to go up and you'd be going north in the southbound lanes," Bonnick said.

Other drivers agreed the sign is confusing.

"I can see signs from here that say do not enter right there where you would turn at that left. But at night, especially if someone had a few drinks, you may not see those. If you follow what that sign says you would turn in the wrong place," said Prichard Bevis.

The North Texas Tollway Authority said it was not aware of the sign indicating the entrance.

“I could see how this could be confusing and that concerns me,” said spokeswoman Sherita Coffelt.

It concerned the city of Dallas so much that crews removed it the day after FOX 4 brought it to their attention.

The NTTA and city of Dallas also plan to eliminate the left-turn lane leading to Brown Street altogether. They will extend the concrete median there within the next two months.