FHWA Includes Driver Mobility in New Work Zone Regulations

This spring the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) was seeking comments on how both worker and driver safety – but significantly, enhanced mobility – can be improved in highway construction work zones. On Jan. 31 FHWA issued an “advance notice of proposed rulemaking” (ANPRM) which solicits potential improvements to federal regs on traffic safety in roadway work zones, with an eye to making zones safer and transit times faster. Suggestions and comments were being accepted through June 6. FHWA believes that the trends of increasing road construction, growing traffic and public frustration with work zones call for a more broad-based examination of the current regulations. Regulations may be updated to reduce the need for recurrent road work, the duration of work zones, and the disruption caused by work zones.