Traffic Control for Short-Duration Maintenance Operations on Four-Lane Divided Highways

The authors summarize the results of research conducted to develop and evaluate reduced traffic control sign treatments for short-duration maintenance operations involving lane closures on four-lane divided highways with traffic volumes of 30,000 or fewer vehicles per day. Several candidate sign treatments were developed and compared with the standard traffic control configuration for a lane closure on a four- lane divided roadway. The effect of the sign treatments on the proportion of drivers that moved out of the closed lane at several locations immediately upstream of the lane closure was studied. Study results indicate that the Texas LANE BLOCKED sign or a changeable- message sign placed 1,500 ft before the cone taper influenced drivers to exit the closed lane farther upstream from the work zone than the other candidate sign treatments tested or the standard traffic control treatment.