Traffic Control at the I-10 Reconstruction Work Zone in Chambers County, Texas

Studies were conducted at a major maintenance work zone on a rural Interstate highway in Texas to evaluate the use of Highway Advisory Radio (HAR) for work zone traffic management. The studies consisted of lane distribution, volume and vehicle classification counts (conducted before and during operation of the HAR), and a questionnaire survey administered to motorists traveling through the work zone. The studies revealed that the HAR had little or no impact on work zone traffic operations because of two factors. First, the conventional signing at the work zone was excellent and the HAR functioned only as a supplemental information source. Second, the advanced signing used to encourage motorists to tune to the HAR broadcasts was apparently inadequate in terms of legibility and visibility. Almost 45 percent of the motorists entering the work zone reported that they did not even see the signing. Even though the HAR system did not significantly affect work zone traffic operations, the studies indicated that HAR may have potential for work zone traffic management in certain applications.