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Publication

Successful Incident Management on a Major Reconstruction Project

Author/Presenter: Charles, Phil; Higgins, Robert
Abstract:

Reconstruction of high traffic roads presents considerable challenges to minimizing delays due to traffic incidents. The Pacific Motorway Project was a fast-track reconstruction of 43 km of one of the most heavily trafficked inter-urban routes in Australia, carrying up to 90,000 vehicles per day between Brisbane and the Gold Coast in South East Queensland. Reconstruction by the State Department of Main Roads involved upgrading from four to eight lanes, under traffic and along an existing corridor.
Keeping traffic flowing route was a priority, and key objectives during the construction and operation phases (with sections progressively opened to traffic) were to ensure smooth traffic flow, minimizing impact on road users; to ensure the Motorway operated safely; and, to limit project cost, balancing design and construction with the operation of the existing roadway, to reduce costs, traffic delays and safety risks to acceptable levels.
While these objectives are at times in tension, they were able to be satisfactorily achieved through a range of incident management initiatives, including setting clear objectives and performance standards, building good working partnerships, application of appropriate cost-effective technology and well thought out communication strategies. Successful incident management during the project meant that delays were minimized and response times to traffic incidents substantially reduced.
This paper focuses on institutional issues and outlines the experience in keeping traffic flowing during a major road reconstruction project, in particular the incident management techniques implemented and the results and lessons learned in managing the impact on traffic.

Source: Presented at the 81th Annual Transportation Research Board Meeting, Washington DC.
Publisher: Transportation Research Board
Publication Date: 2002
Full Text URL: Link to URL
Publication Types: Books, Reports, Papers, and Research Articles
Topics: Incident Management; Maintenance Practices; Urban Highways

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