ITS Concept of Operations: Work Zone Intrusion Warning System (WIWS)

Safety is Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT)’s top priority as demonstrated in the Toward Zero Deaths (TZD) initiative to lower the number of traffic crashes, injuries, and deaths occurring on Minnesota roads. MnDOT is working to improve safety in work zones and to reduce work zone intrusions by vehicles. In the state of Minnesota, 21 severe crashes occur in the work zone in a typical year. MnDOT stakeholders have identified that drivers are not adequately complying with work zone messages and are entering restricted work zone areas. Vehicles that enter work zones place a potential threat to the lives of construction workers as well as drivers and passengers. Stakeholders have identified a need for a system that would warn roadway workers and alert intrusive vehicles in the event that a vehicle enters the restricted work zone. A Concept of Operations will clearly convey the fundamental needs and concept of the systems. This Concept of Operations details ways of improving the current systems in place. The document identifies the needs of the stakeholder groups, describes an operational concept from the stakeholder perspectives, outlines systems components, and presents common operational scenarios for this challenge.