Evaluation of Traffic Control Devices for Rural High-Speed Maintenance Work Zones

This report documents the first year activities of a two-year project in which various work zone traffic control devices, treatments, and practices were implemented and evaluated. The focus has been on rural high-speed work zones. Nine work zones have been studied. Four work zones have been on two-lane highways with flagger operations and the remaining five were on a multilane highway with a single lane closure. The devices evaluated in the flagger-controlled work zones include fluorescent orange signing, radar drone, fluorescent yellow-green vests and hard hat covers, handheld strobe light attached to flagger vest, visibility improvement attachments for cones, and high-visibility retroreflective magnetic strips on flagger vehicles. The devices evaluated in the lane closure work zones include fluorescent orange signing, radar drone, fluorescent yellow green vests and hard hat covers, visibility improvement attachments for cones, speed display trailer, advisor speed signing, and high-visibility retroreflective magnetic strips on work vehicles. Speeds, conflicts, driver surveys, maintenance crew surveys, and recorded CB conversations were used to evaluate the different devices. Preliminary analyses show that the most promising devices include the fluorescent orange signing, fluorescent yellow-green worker vests, radar drone, and speed display trailer. Recommended research activities for year two include further evaluation of these promising devices along with other innovative devices such as portable rumble strips and portable stop bars.