Update to Procedure for Determining Work Zone Speed Limits

NCHRP Project 03-41, “Procedure for Determining Work Zone Speed Limits,” reported in NCHRP Research Results Digest 192: Procedure for Determining Work Zone Speed Limits, resulted in the guidelines that remain in the current edition of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). Some of the NCHRP Project 03-41 conclusions include: (1) Mean speeds were approximately 5 mph lower within work zones with no speed limit reduction and that work zone speed limit reductions should be avoided, particularly where work activities are in shoulders or when no work activities are underway. (2) A 10 mph reduction below the normal speed limit was observed when work takes place on the traveled way or personnel are working in an unprotected position within 10 ft of the traveled way. (3) Work zone speed limit reductions greater than 10 mph should be avoided. Even though the research remains the practitioners’ gold standard regarding work zone speed limits, it is becoming increasingly dated, having been completed in 1996. There’s a need to update the procedure to determine temporary traffic control (TTC) zone speed limit based on new empirical evidence and provide an easy-to-use non-web-based tool to help practitioners with decision makings. The objective of this research is to develop a procedure with an easy-to-use non-web-based tool for determining regulatory speed limits to be used for TTC zones in various contexts that accommodate the interests of multimodal roadway users and workers.

• Record URL:
  • http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=5490
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Contract to a Performing Organization has not yet been awarded.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Proposed
• Funding: $600000
• Contract Numbers:

  Project 03-150

• Sponsor Organizations:

  National Cooperative Highway Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

  444 North Capitol Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Deng, Zuxuan

• Start Date: 20240610
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Road construction workers; Safety; Speed limits; Work zone safety; Work zone traffic control; Work zones
• Subject Areas: Highways; Law; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01898271
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project 03-150
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: Nov 6 2023 4:39PM