Summary

Project Objectives

The goal of this project was to identify best practices for leveraging technology to help the traveling public navigate roadway maintenance or construction work zones. This project utilized the research team members’ extensive experience with Smart Work Zone technology development, testing, and Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) Amplified Work Plan: NCHRP 10-109 implementation; work zone data creation and dissemination; stakeholder outreach and engagement; and development of effective guidance materials. Drawing upon this expertise, the research team:

1. Evaluated innovative and adaptive technologies that are attention capturing and enhance work zone safety and mobility;
2. Evaluated the use of crowdsourcing applications and data analytics for dynamic work zone devices and in-vehicle notifications for traffic management; and
3. Developed a guide for the application and management of innovative work zone technologies.

The research identified and evaluated technologies with the potential to enhance work zone safety and mobility; assessed how work zone data created by roadside sensors, crowdsourced applications, etc. can be effectively disseminated; and created guidance materials that can be used to help organizations apply and manage these new technologies to realize significant work zone safety and mobility benefits.

Project Approach

Our research approach involved multiple tasks with the goal of evaluating the current state of technologies used to improve work zone safety and mobility, resulting in a guide for state and local practitioners to use for implementation. Initially, a literature review and industry scan were conducted to provide information about new technology demonstrations and implementations and to identify case studies and current knowledge about effectiveness and best practices. The team then investigated and assessed current and emerging technologies that identify work zone locations, travel speed, queues, and alternate routing in real time (mobile apps, crowdsourcing, sensors, etc.). Information about work zone locations and operational conditions was also collected, analyzed, and distributed. Additionally, the team considered how a variety of drivers can be informed about the operational conditions of the work zone in real time so they can avoid hazards and impediments to mobility. Outreach activities were completed that built on the findings of prior tasks, resulting in the creation of a Guide for Improving Work Zone Safety and Mobility. A practitioner workshop was then convened, which provided the research team with feedback on that Guide. Based on the approved technical solution(s) and the guidance developed, the team implemented a proof of concept on pre-approved state department of transportation (DOT) projects. Lastly, the project team prepared all final deliverables and presented them to the NCHRP panel and committees.

Suggested Research

Another key task of this project was to prioritize research needs relevant to connected and automated vehicle (CAV) technologies and work zones.

Issues Affecting Potential Implementation

There are several potential barriers to successful implementation of technologies in work zones, such as insufficient or inadequate data to support the benefit-cost analyses; lack of practitioner understanding of the proposed benefit-cost framework; and organizational, political, or societal resistance to the suggested framework. To mitigate the impacts of potential barriers, the research team created a risk register covering the main risks. The register includes management actions for each risk. The risks identified within this section are classified with ratings for three aspects of each individual risk: the probability of that risk occurring; the impact on the project cost, schedule, or scope; and the ability of that risk to be mitigated. These levels are defined in Table 1 (Note: Risks have been rated using the Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office standard, which may be found at https://www.its.dot.gov/project_mang/index.htm). The noted risks and associated mitigation suggestions were informed by findings from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2023) report Preparing Transportation Agencies for Connected and Automated Vehicles in Work Zones which addressed complementary research questions. Table 2 summarizes the main challenges expected when implementing the benefit-cost analyses framework and the experience-based strategies for mitigating a risk’s potential impact on the project. Risks are identified using a taxonomy that includes institutional, personnel, and technical risks. Table 2 also lists the anticipated risks, their ratings and probabilities, and planned mitigation strategies.

Table 1. Risk Rating and Probability Definitions

Table 2. Risk Matrix