To Lessen Work Zone Impacts: Try TMPs
Transportation engineers must manage the mobility and safety impacts of roadway projects. Fortunately, states are addressing this challenge through the development of transportation management plans (TMPs). This paper describes what a TMP is, highlights the benefits of using TMPs and provides tips on developing effective TMPs. To address safety issues and congestion related to road construction, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) updated the Work Zone Safety and Mobility Rule in 2004 (with a compliance date of October 12, 2007). The rule requires states to develop TMPs for all Federal-aid highway projects. A TMP contains a set of coordinated strategies to help minimize the work zone impacts of a project. All TMPs must include a temporary traffic control plan, while TMPs for projects with greater impacts to safety and mobility also must include transportation operations and public information and outreach components. Having a formal process enables a department of transportation (DOT) to streamline TMP development across its agency, ensure the appropriate stakeholders are included in the process, develop more comprehensive TMPs, and better plan future projects by documenting successful strategies. Based on the experiences of several state DOTs, the FHWA has these suggestions for developing TMPs: start early; coordinate early and include input from all key stakeholders; use templates, guidance, and other standardized agency tools to help ensure that TMPs are consistent; provide training for all personnel involved in development and implementation; monitor, assess, and update the TMP as needed; document everything; facilitate use of alternate routes by looking into their feasibility early in the process; understand diversion rates; employ strategies that keep lanes open, especially during peak traffic times; consider using extended closures or full closures, versus numerous night closures, to reduce overall construction time and cost, and to improve safety; keep the public informed about the project and progress; and keep your eyes on the bigger picture when developing the TMP.
- Record URL:
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Availability:
- Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/1586080
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Authors:
- Scriba, Tracy
- Symoun, Jennifer
- Beasley, Kari Adkins
- Publication Date: 2010-9
Language
- English
Media Info
- Media Type: Print
- Features: Photos; Tables;
- Pagination: pp 10-17
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Serial:
- Public Roads
- Volume: 74
- Issue Number: 2
- Publisher: Federal Highway Administration
- ISSN: 0033-3735
- Serial URL: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/
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Publication flags:
Open Access (libre)
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Construction projects; Guidelines; Highway operations; Mobility; Public information programs; Road construction; State departments of transportation; Strategic planning; Work zone safety; Work zone traffic control; Work zones
- Identifier Terms: U.S. Federal Highway Administration
- Uncontrolled Terms: Transportation management plans
- Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; I73: Traffic Control;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01327983
- Record Type: Publication
- Files: TRIS
- Created Date: Jan 20 2011 11:21AM