Safety Assessment of Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control Truck Platooning on Freeway Work Zones

Freeway work zones, particularly in merging areas, experience serious traffic safety and operational difficulties. The advent of connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs), capable of complex maneuvers like platooning, adds new layers of complexity. Despite numerous studies exploring operational aspects of heavy vehicle platooning in work zones, safety evaluations remain scant. This research, using VISSIM microsimulation, addresses this gap by examining the safety implications of cooperative adaptive cruise control (CACC) truck platooning in such areas. The study simulated varying scenarios by positioning lane change warning signs at distinct distances upstream of work zones. Findings reveal that early merge strategies—signs at least 1 mi upstream—decreased traffic conflicts by 300% compared to late merge conditions. This study also emphasizes that while platooning provides significant benefits in controlled traffic flow situations, infrastructure owners and operators (IOOs) should work closely with other stakeholders such as trucking companies, and law enforcement agencies to make necessary changes to their infrastructure to accommodate truck platooning.