Research Project:

Synthesis of Procedures to Forecast and Monitor Work Zone Safety and Mobility Impacts

Final Report

PDF version 2 mb
HTML version 345 kb

Tech Transfer Summary 305 kb

Principal Investigator

Tom Maze
Iowa State University
(515) 294-9523
tmaze@iastate.edu

Project Objective

To synthesize strategies used to relieve and mitigate work zone related congestion on urban freeways into a matrix that determines the most appropriate strategy based on the attributes of a work zone; to develop a detailed analysis of high priority strategies, and identify a framework for future strategies.

Project Abstract

Administrative Final Rule CFR part 630 Subpart J “Work Zone Safety and Mobility” requires that state transportation agencies (STAs) develop policies to investigate the safety and mobility impacts as early as possible in the project development process. The rule provides some flexibility by allowing each state to set its own procedures and policies to comply with the rule and by allowing states to seek solutions which are commensurate with the severity of the potential impacts and require the most aggressive planning for “Significant Projects.”

This report provides a synthesis of what is currently being done by STAs across the country to plan, manage, operate, and evaluate work zone safety and mobility. The research to develop this synthesis was broken into three distinct steps. The first step was to review the literature regarding work zone safety and mobility strategies. The second was to conduct interviews with staff members at 30 STAs. The last step was to conduct more detailed case studies of three STAs.

We found that only California and Ohio (there may be more states than this, but these were the two we discovered) had really thought about work zone impacts throughout the life-cycle of project development and project delivery and had documented the roles and interactions between different offices. Most agencies we interviewed lacked objective performance data, although many described processes where they have experts review and evaluate work zones on a periodic or continuous basis.

Task Descriptions, Milestone, and Dates

Project Organization (May 2005)
Draft Technical Memorandums on Each Strategy (June 2005)
Rank Strategies for Further Analysis and Case Study Plan (August 2005)
Conduct a Case Study (September 2005)
Draft a Final Report (October 2005)

Student Involvement (e.g., Thesis, Assistantships, Paid Employment)

None

Relationship to Other Projects

None

Technology Transfer Activities

The STA’s work zone traffic control engineer (or equivalent) in each of the Region 7 states as well as Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Minnesota will be approached to participate in the project. These are individuals that have the authority to implement the strategies identified by the researchers. In addition they will be asked to direct the researchers to investigate strategies that are of highest priority to them and that they are actually considering applying.

Potential Benefits of the Project

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) recently released an administrative rule (23 CFR Part 630) which requires states to systematically consider management of work zone impacts on Federal-aide highways. FHWA’s rule requires both a statewide and project level process for managing the impacts of work zones with the objective of minimizing safety and congestion impacts. The strategies above will become part of the “toolkit” for addressing congestion impacts on interstate highways.

Budget

$25,000 MTC/ $25,000 Cost Share (12-month project)

TRB Keywords

Asset Management, Work Zone Mobility, Work Zone Delay, Work Zone Congestion, Congestion Mitigation, Innovative Contracting, Performance Measure, Design-Build, A+B Contracting, Lane Rental, Design–Bid–Build