A GIS-Based Interactive Lane Closure and Traffic Information Tool

This paper describes the development of an interactive computer tool, namely RILCA, for planning lane closures for work zones. This user-friendly tool is aimed at providing traffic engineers with a computerized and easy to use lane closure application along with various other useful features. RILCA was developed using ArcView GIS software package as the main development environment. The interactive GIS map of New Jersey Turnpike (NJTPK), Garden State Parkway (GSP), and other major freeways in NJ and its surrounding network is displayed using ArcView. Various analysis and visualization options are provided for interactive planning of lane closures, traffic volume information and accident queries. RILCA was successfully tested and is currently being used by NJDOT and New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) engineers with all its features presented in this paper. It has also received the annual implementation award from the NJDOT in 2009 in recognition of its usefulness and potential future contributions to improve efficiency of traffic operations as a practical decision support tool for lane closure decisions.