PARRISH, Fla. — The various traffic control devices like signs, lane markings and signals are designed to help us navigate the roads safely.

But Real Time Traffic Expert Chuck Henson was asked to look at a set of traffic signals that don't seem to be there for anyone.

Spectrum Bay News 9 viewer Sam Clues spotted something at the intersection of U.S. 301 and Fort Hammer Road in Parrish — something rather confusing.

“I drove around a second time just to make sure that I saw what I saw,” he said. "And then I checked online and I thought, ‘Is this something I wasn't sure about in the driver’s handbook or something?'"

The signal arm at the intersection sits over the northbound lanes of U.S. 301 at Fort Hammer.

But then there is duplicate sets of signals — one set facing the northbound traffic as one would expect, and a second facing the opposite direction.  

Seemingly for no one.

Chuck said he has not seen a signal configuration like this before and tried to find the reason why these signals seem to face the wrong way.

It was Adam Rose with the Florida Department of Transportation who cleared up the fog on this.

It turns out that even though they are over the northbound lanes, these signals are for southbound through drivers.

“There is a sight distance issue in the curve going south on 301," Rose said. "And these additional supplementary lights let the through vehicles see the signal indication — where they would be able to see them in their normal position — and stop on time without running the red light."

The way southbound U.S. 301 curves approaching the light makes it hard for drivers to see their signals until they're right up on them.

Positioning duplicate signals in a direct line of sight gives them more notice the light has changed ahead, Rose said.

That said, there is a bit of an issue with left turn drivers who might think that green means they can cross in front of oncoming traffic. So blinders have been ordered for the duplicate signals so only approaching traffic will see them.