Field Studies of Temporary Pavement Markings at Overlay Project Work Zones on Two-Lane, Two-Way Rural Highways (with Discussion and Closure)

In response to FHWA’s proposed rule requiring that all states use 4-ft pavement markings on 40-ft centers as temporary markings in highway work zones, NCHRP awarded a research contract to the Texas Transportation Institute to conduct field studies to compare the safety and operational effectiveness of 1-ft, 2-ft, and 4-ft temporary broken line pavement markings in work zones. The following scope and test conditions were specified by NCHRP: (a) surfacing operations on two- lane, two-way facilities; (b) field sites involving pavement overlays ( not seal coats); (c) data collection during hours of darkness; (d) dry roadway conditions; (e) sites with both tangent and curve sections; (f) centerline stripe only (no edgelines); (g) use of a 40-ft pavement marking cycle; and (h) field tests in real or staged work zones that are open to traffic. Field studies were conducted at night at seven pavement overlay project sites on two-lane, two-way rural highways in Arkansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas. Traffic stream measures of effectiveness included vehicle speeds, lateral distance from the centerline, lane straddling, and erratic maneuvers. In-vehicle studies using paid driver subjects were conducted to supplement the traffic stream evaluation. The 1-ft and 2-ft striping patterns on 40-ft centers performed as well as the 4-ft pattern for centerline striping at night for the conditions studied: pavement overlay projects on rural two-lane, two-way highways with 2.0 degree horizontal curvature, level to rolling terrain, and average speeds between 50 and 62 mph. Although the driver subjects at six sites rated the 1-ft pattern to be the least effective on the average, there was no statistical difference in mean ratings or rankings among the three patterns.