Minimizing Traffic-Related Work Zone Crashes in Illinois
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CIVIL ENGINEERING STUDIES Illinois Center for Transportation Series No. 12-017 UILU-ENG-2012-2019 ISSN: 0197-9191 MINIMIZING TRAFFIC-RELATED WORK ZONE CRASHES IN ILLINOIS Prepared By Khaled El-Rayes Liang Liu Tarek Elghamrawy University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Research Report FHWA-ICT-12-017 A report of the findings of ICT-R27-52 Studying and Minimizing Traffic-Related Work Zone Crashes in Illinois Illinois Center for Transportation April 2013 Technical Report Documentation Page 1. Report No. 2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient's Catalog No. FHWA-ICT-12-017 4. Title and Subtitle 5. Report Date April 2013 Minimizing Traffic-Related Work Zone Crashes in Illinois 6. Performing Organization Code 8. Performing Organization Report No. 7. Author(s) ICT-12-017 Khaled El-Rayes, Liang Liu, and Tarek Elghamrawy UILU-ENG-2012-2019 9. Performing Organization Name and Address 10. Work Unit ( TRAIS) Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 11. Contract or Grant No. 205 N. Mathews Ave., Urbana, IL 61801 R27-52 13. Type of Report and Period Covered 12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address 14. Sponsoring Agency Code Illinois Department of Transportation Bureau of Materials and Physical Research 126 E. Ash St. Springfield, IL 62704 15. Supplementary Notes 16. Abstract This report presents the findings of a research project to study and develop recommendations to minimize work zone crashes in Illinois. The objectives of this project were (1) to provide in-depth comprehensive review of the latest literature on traffic-related work zone crashes and conduct site visits of work zones in Illinois, (2) to analyze the frequency and severity of traffic-related work zone crashes in Illinois, (3) to quantify the impact of layout parameters on the risk of crash occurrence and develop practical recommendations to control the factors contributing to work zone crashes in Illinois, and (4) to evaluate the practicality and effectiveness of adding temporary/portable rumble strips within and before work zones. To achieve these objectives, the research team carried out six major tasks: (1) conducting a comprehensive literature review, (2) collecting and fusing all available data and reports on work zone crashes in Illinois, (3) analyzing work zone crashes and identifying their contributing factors, (4) identifying the impact of layout parameters on the risk of crash occurrences and developing practical recommendations to improve work zone layouts, (5) performing field experiments to evaluate the efficiency of using temporary rumble strips in work zones, and (6) evaluating the effectiveness of temporary rumble strips before work zones begin and at the edge of work zones. During this study, the research team identified a number of promising research areas for further in-depth analysis and investigation: (1) investigating the practicality and effectiveness of using new prototypes of temporary rumble strips at the edge of work zones, (2) improving safety for construction equipment entering and exiting work zones, and (3) optimizing work zone transportation management plans (TMPs) to maximize work zone safety while minimizing total work zone costs. 17. Key Words 18. Distribution Statement Accident data; Traffic accidents, Traffic data; Traffic No restrictions. This document is available to the public safety, Work zone safety; Work zone traffic control through the National Technical Information Service, Springfield, VA 22161. 19. Security Classif. (of this report) 20. Security Classif. (of this page) 21. No. of Pages 22. Price Unclassified Unclassified 157 plus appendices Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction of completed page authorized ACKNOWLEDGMENT This publication is based on the results of ICT-R27-52, Studying and Minimizing Traffic- Related Work Zone Crashes in Illinois. ICT-R27-52 was conducted in cooperation with the Illinois Center for Transportation; the Illinois Department of Transportation; and the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration. Members of the Technical Review Panel are the following: Kyle Armstrong, IDOT District 6 Operations Patty Broers, IDOT BMPR Barry Gibbs, IDOT District 8 Dennis Huckaba, IDOT Design & Environment Dean Mentjes, FHWA Marshall Metcalf, IDOT BSE (TRP Chair) Joyce Schroeder, IDOT Division of Traffic Safety Aaron Weatherholt, IDOT Operations DISCLAIMER The contents of this report reflect the view of the authors, who are responsible for the facts and the accuracy of the data presented herein. The contents do not necessarily reflect the official views or policies of the Illinois Center for Transportation, the Illinois Department of Transportation, or the Federal Highway Administration. This report does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation. i EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Work zone safety is a major concern for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), and state departments of transportation (DOTs). Recent data indicate that highway construction and maintenance work zone crashes cause an average of 745 fatalities and 40,700 severe injuries per year in the United States. To address these critical safety concerns, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) developed and implemented the Safety Engineering Policy (3-07) to comply with the FHWA Work Zone Safety and Mobility Rule (FHWA 2005). One of the main safety goals of this newly implemented policy is to reduce the number of motorist fatalities in traffic-related work zone crashes by 10% each year and to reduce the number of work zone crashes by 5% from each prior year. To improve work zone safety, the Illinois Strategic Highway Safety Program (ISHSP 2008) proposed a number of strategies, including identifying factors that contribute to injury and fatal work zone crashes. This report presents the findings of a research project, funded by the Illinois Center for Transportation, under project number ICT-R27-52, to study and develop recommendations to minimize work zone crashes in Illinois. The objectives of this project are (1) to provide in-depth comprehensive review of the latest literature on traffic-related work zone crashes and conduct site visits of work zones in Illinois, (2) to analyze the frequency and severity of traffic-related work zone crashes in Illinois, (3) to quantify the impact of layout parameters on the risk of crash occurrence and develop practical recommendations to control the factors contributing to work zone crashes in Illinois, and (4) to evaluate the practicality and effectiveness of adding temporary/portable rumble strips within and before work zones. To achieve these objectives, the research team carried out six major tasks: (1) conducting a comprehensive literature review, (2) collecting and fusing all available data and reports on work zone crashes in Illinois, (3) analyzing work zone crashes and identifying their contributing factors, (4) identifying the impact of layout parameters on the risk of crash occurrences and developing practical recommendations to improve work zone layouts, (5) performing field experiments to evaluate the efficiency of using temporary rumble strips in work zones, and (6) evaluating the effectiveness of temporary rumble strips before work zones begin and at the edge of work zones. ii CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... 1 1.1 WORK ZONE SAFETY .............................................................................................. 1 1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT ........................................................................................... 2 1.3 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES ........................................................................................ 3 1.4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY .................................................................................. 3 CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................ 6 2.1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 6 2.2 WORK ZONE LAYOUTS ............................................................................................ 6 2.2.1 Advance Warning Area ........................................................................................ 7 2.2.2 Transition Area and Tapers ................................................................................. 7 2.2.3 Activity Area ......................................................................................................... 8 2.2.4 Termination Area ................................................................................................. 8 2.3 WORK ZONE STRATEGIES ...................................................................................... 8 2.4 TEMPORARY TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES AND TYPICAL APPLICATIONS ...................................................................................................10 2.5 WORK ZONE DESIGN PARAMETERS ....................................................................11 2.6 WORK ZONE TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT PLANS ....................................12 2.7 NIGHTTIME WORK ZONES .....................................................................................12 2.8 MERGE TECHNIQUES AND QUEUE DETECTION SYSTEMS IN WORK ZONES ....................................................................................................13 2.9 FEDERAL RULES ON WORK ZONE SAFETY