Analysis of Three Decades of Research in Road and Highway Work Zones Using Bibliometric Methods

Research in road and highway work zones has been continuously increasing since it is critical for maintaining traffic efficiency, reducing accident risks and minimising environmental impact during road maintenance, repair or upgrade. Road and highway work zones significantly impact safety due to traffic flow disruption, layout change and construction activities, which increase the likelihood of collisions, injuries and workers’ exposure to dangers. Despite the growing body of research, there is a lack of comprehensive bibliometric analysis that examines the historical, current and future trajectories of work zone research. This study analyzes 892 publications from 1990 to 2024, sourced from the Scopus and Web of Science databases. Using the literature visualization tool CiteSpace, the study examines research hotspots, keyword clustering and keyword bursts in work zone studies. The results indicated an upward trend in the number of publications on work zones and research hotspots primarily focus on work zone modeling, optimization, traffic congestion, driver behavior and work zone safety. The results also showed the evolution of research in this area has undergone four distinct stages: foundational development, modeling and optimization, intelligent system and problem-oriented applications. Future research could focus on development of intelligent systems, environmental impact and sustainability, AI and data-driven methods and drivers’ and work zone workers’ safety.