Full Road Closure: A Method for Reducing Project Time and Mitigating Work Zone Congestion and Crashes

Transportation agencies are challenged to balance the increasing need for work zones with mobility and safety concerns expressed by the public and government agencies. Full road closure is one method that transportation agencies are giving increased consideration to during project planning and design, as a potential way to balance these conflicting needs. The full closure approach is designed to eliminate the exposure of motorists to work zones and workers to traffic by temporarily closing a facility for rehabilitation or maintenance. Work may be performed more quickly since the work area is effectively cleared of interference from motorists passing through a site. While full road closure may not be appropriate for every work zone, there are many situations where transportation agencies can effectively use full closure.