Construction Costs and Safety Impacts of Work Zone Traffic Control Strategies, Volume I: Final Report

This final report is the first volume of the two-volume series. Research was performed to determine total costs (construction and road user costs) and safety impacts associated with traffic control through work zones on rural four-lane, divided highways using single lane closure (SLC) versus two-lane, two-way traffic operations (TLTWO). An informational guide for use in selecting cost-effective traffic control strategies for proposed construction projects was also prepared. Construction data were collected from 51 construction projects in 11 States, and traffic capacity delay studies were conducted at 25 projects in 10 States. Construction projects were studied in 16 different States. A total of seven types of construction projects were analyzed for the two traffic control alternatives. The type of construction was found to be the most important aspect affecting the selection of the most cost-effective traffic control strategy. The average daily traffic for the projects ranged from approximately 10,000 to 30,000. For the projects studied, there were no significant differences in accident rates between the two traffic control alternatives. Guidelines are presented for selection of SLC versus TLTWO, including a simplified procedure to estimate road user costs for SLC and TLTWO traffic control strategies.