Improving the Utilization and Effectiveness of Smart Work Zone Deployments
Smart work zones (SWZs) have been shown to have traffic safety and mobility benefits when and where they are truly needed, properly designed, implemented, and maintained. The use of SWZ deployments has become more common on projects across the state. As defined in Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) guidance: Smart Work Zone Guidelines dated October 2018, these technologies typically produce data and/or images that are processed to become actionable information. Although guidance exists to assist with designing and implementing these systems, research is needed to understand why some deployments have been more effective than others. Research is also needed to determine how TxDOT’s SWZ selection, procurement, implementation, and maintenance processes should be improved. To achieve these research objectives. The work to be performed with this project includes: (1) identifying a sample of projects across the state where SWZs have been deployed; (2) reviewing any information available on best practices from other state departments of transportation; (3) interviewing TxDOT, contractor, and SWZ vendor staff to determine the decision-making processes of those SWZ deployments, challenges encountered, and perceptions about their effectiveness; (4) where data is available, conducting operational and safety analyses to determine actual effects of the systems; (5) reviewing contract management documentation related to those SWZ deployments; and (6) identifying potential improvements to TxDOT’s project development and construction management workflows, bid specifications, and methods of payment to increase likelihood of successful smart work zones on future projects.
Language
- English
Project
- Status: Completed
- Funding: $199978
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Contract Numbers:
0-7118
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Sponsor Organizations:
Texas Department of Transportation
125 E. 11th Street
Austin, TX United States 78701-2483 -
Managing Organizations:
Texas Department of Transportation
125 E. 11th Street
Austin, TX United States 78701-2483 -
Project Managers:
Pridgen, Shelley
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Performing Organizations:
Texas A&M Transportation Institute
Texas A&M University System
3135 TAMU
College Station, TX United States 77843-3135 -
Principal Investigators:
Ullman, Gerald
- Start Date: 20210901
- Expected Completion Date: 20230228
- Actual Completion Date: 20230228
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Best practices; Implementation; Technological innovations; Work zone safety; Work zones
- Geographic Terms: Texas
- Subject Areas: Construction; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01782698
- Record Type: Research project
- Source Agency: Texas Department of Transportation
- Contract Numbers: 0-7118
- Files: RIP, STATEDOT
- Created Date: Sep 23 2021 10:36AM