Work-Zone Traffic Control Concepts and Terminology

An annotated glossary of the concepts, definitions, and standard terminology currently used and advocated in traffic control for highway construction, maintenance, and related activities is presented. For selected terms and categories, information is provided on the background, use, implications, and relevant principles. The objective is to achieve consistency in the use of these terms in preparing manuals, directives, and contract documents and in training, reporting research findings, and otherwise communicating on this subject. Much of the terminology recommended has been used, modified, and refined through decades of intensive work-zone training courses conducted for engineering, technical, and field personnel. This experience has shown that the precise use of words is not merely an academic exercise. The terminology that evolved promotes understanding and results in higher test scores. Good, clear, and consistent language aids understanding and yields a better product in the field. This in turn enhances safety, which is the ultimate objective.