The Efficacy of Orange Lane Delineations in Highway Work Zones

With over 100,000 crashes in the work zone per year, it is essential that we as builders discover and implement innovative solutions to maximize field crew and public safety in high traffic areas. A recent trend in the Heavy Civil Construction industry has been the implementation of temporary fluorescent orange striping in active highway work zones. When traditional white or yellow lane markings are removed, a faint residue is left behind and as construction crews repeatedly shift lanes, multiple overlapping removal scars begin to create confusion for drivers that leads to an increased risk of crashes. To eliminate this confusion as well as to reduce traffic speeds and increase awareness in the work zone, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, the North Texas Tollway Authority, and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet have conducted successful experimentations with orange lane delineations. The most recent experimentation trial is currently being conducted by Caltrans District 11 and is expected to conclude in late 2022. The objective of this research is to measure the overall success rate of orange striping and to determine common obstacles faced during the installation, exposure, and removal of orange striping.