Improving the Safety of Moving Lane Closures

Moving lane closures are an increasingly utilized and inherently hazardous traffic control procedure for highway maintenance and operations activities. To improve the safety of moving lane closures for workers and motorists, this research studied driver behavior around moving lane closures and the effect of different components of current traffic control scenarios, including the number, configuration, and spacing of shadow vehicles, and the effect of various traffic control devices and sign messages. This report presents the results of Phase I of this study and includes the findings of full-scale field experiments performed at four locations. A future Phase II of the research will expand on these findings and produce specific recommendations for revisions to current traffic control standards to improve the safety of moving lane closures for highway workers and the travelling public.