Modern Solutions to Safe and Efficient Work Zone Travel

Annually, hundreds of lives are lost in crashes within the vicinity of roadway construction and maintenance work zones (ARTBA, 2020). Traveling motorists routinely fail to identify and react judiciously to warning signs associated with maintenance of traffic in highway work zones. Smart work zone technologies use innovative strategies to minimize work zone crashes and technological applications to dynamically manage work zones. Further, there are new approaches being tested and used across the country to effectively alert or warn motorists to comply with the work zone traffic control information. These include the use of new and innovative technologies for intelligent transportation systems (ITS) for dynamic management of work zone traffic impacts such as queue and speed management as well as crowdsourcing applications that provide guidance to travelers. Data collection techniques involve the use of cellular location data and feedback to monitor traffic queuing and suggest alternate routes. Research is needed to identify best practices in leveraging technology to assist the traveling public in navigating roadway maintenance or construction work zones. The objectives of this research are to: (1) evaluate innovative and adaptive technologies that are attention-capturing and enhance work zone safety and mobility; (2) evaluate the use of crowdsourcing applications and data analytics for dynamic work zone devices and in-vehicle notifications for traffic management; and (3) develop a guide for the application and management of innovative work zone technologies.

• Record URL:
  http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=4963

Language

• English

Project

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

  Project 10-109

• 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:

  Crichton-Sumners, C

• Performing Organizations:

  Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg

  208 Patton Hall
  Blacksburg, VA  United States  24061
• Principal Investigators:

  Mollenhauer, Mike

• Start Date: 20210504
• Expected Completion Date: 20240502
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Best practices; Implementation; Mobile applications; Technological innovations; Work zone safety; Work zones
• Identifier Terms: Smarter Work Zones
• Subject Areas: Construction; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01739633
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project 10-109
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: May 20 2020 9:20AM