Q: Seattle resident Bob Ingalls believes that too often unsuspecting freeway drivers are needlessly directed to a far-right lane to exit the freeway, only to discover later that the lane they had been in would also have allowed them to exit. In some cases, the lane next to the far-right lane also has an "O.K." sign posted.

"This can cause hardship and confusion, and even trap the unwary," he said. Not to mention the struggle he's experienced in the past trying to change lanes. Such is the case, he says, in the northbound lanes of Interstate 5, for drivers headed to the Edmonds-Kingston exit (Exit 177). After following a sign to exit right, and then passing a sign with an "O.K." arrow over one lane and an "exit-only" arrow over another, drivers find they must move to the left on the exit to avoid being inadvertently forced onto Ballinger Way Northeast.

Even more annoying, says Ingalls, is the exit from northbound I-5 to Highway 520 in Seattle. Drivers following the "right lane only" exit sign discover that their lane ends and merges traffic to the left.

Wouldn't it be helpful, Ingalls suggests, to have "O.K" arrows posted where the exit is first indicated?

A: Ideally, says Darrel Whyte, special projects engineer for the state Department of Transportation, if drivers can reach an exit from more than one lane, freeway signs approaching the exit will alert traffic. But obviously that's not always the case. Sometimes cost can get in the way; sometimes it's a matter of finding a place to post another sign, says Whyte.

At most locations with two exit lanes and only a one-lane exit sign, it's because the sign was posted a long time ago, he said. That's the way it was done back then.

Two-lane exit signs are much larger, and extend farther over the roadway than one-lane exit signs, he said, and so they require more substantial supports. Only a few locations with existing supports for a one-lane exit sign can be used to support a two-lane sign without modifications.

"Replacing a sign support with larger, stronger sign support to accommodate a two-lane exit sign is a costly endeavor. In urban areas, new sign supports can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars," he said. So to save money, the state often waits until sign upgrades can be incorporated into a major construction project, like widening a freeway in the immediate area.

If a major project is not scheduled for an area, Whyte says the state can tap into funds for spot improvements. But those funds are limited, he said, so "we must be very selective and weigh the costs and benefits of such freeway signing against other safety improvement projects."

However, Whyte said staff did review the Edmonds-Kingston and Highway 520 exits, and agree that those locations are good candidates for sign upgrades. So the state will work on a plan and budget for new signs. But it could take months. Let's see what happens.