A Comparative Study to Evaluate Short-Term Work Zone Safety Control Measures’ Effectiveness Based on a Simplified Traffic Conflict Model

As traffic-related work zone crashes continue to increase across the nation, the safety of road users and workers has become a top priority for transportation agencies. This study compared three different temporary control countermeasures and three different traffic channelizing devices by using a simplified traffic conflict model to evaluate their effectiveness. This simplified conflict model used “stoplight up” and “headlight up” combined with traffic volume and passenger car percentage. The study found that the use of a flashing vehicle combined with flagger is the most effective. The level speed limit double transition (60m–60m– 60m) is better than the other two measures. In addition, the results suggest that a simplified traffic conflict model can be used to evaluate safety in a short-term work zone. This research can provide references for work zone organization, traffic speed monitoring, and safety evaluation of work zones.