REPORTS ON TRAFFIC FLOW AND SAFETY APPLICATIONS OF ROAD BARRIERS: 4. RETHINKING THE USE OF MOVEABLE BARRIER TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY IN HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION WORK ZONES

The purpose of this report is to take an in-depth look at the developments and application of Moveable Barrier Technology (MBT). The issues, such as how the lack of positive protection has impacted worker safety and well being, as well as construction productivity, are examined. It looks at the impacts of construction area congestion on economic productivity, and how the state of the practice of protecting workers and motorists in construction work areas is lagging behind the available technology. The way in which that lag is impacting the quality of road service on limited access facilities in many U.S. urban areas is also examined. Tracing some of the history of construction area delineation, the report shows how the development of positive barrier separation has been an important concern in major legislation and practice guidelines for over a decade. The report examines how, for lack of a technology that would allow quick deployment of positive separation barriers, buffer areas and plastic delineators are used to fill this gap. This has a high cost associated with it; the cost to the public of delays and of accidents, deaths, injuries and property damage. A review is made of how the lack of moveable positive separation in confined urban construction areas has caused negative impacts on work efficiency, and how motorists have been made to suffer delays in travelling through these tightly restricted areas. Importantly, the report attempts to define conditions under which MBT is likely to result in more productive and higher quality construction work. The report documents a number of cases of early completion resulting from the employment of MBT. Information is provided which will be helpful in rethinking how recent experiences in the application of MBT may be used to update the state of the practice of positive protection in construction areas. Finally, information is offered that should be useful in determining under what conditions the employment of MBT is warranted.

• Corporate Authors:

  Federal Highway Administration

  Office of Safety, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Cutrell, J D
• Publication Date: 2000-3

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Photos; Tables;
• Pagination: 25 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Barriers (Roads); Benefits; Costs; History; Impacts; Occupational safety; Productivity; Traffic congestion; Traffic delays; Traffic safety; Urban areas; Warrants (Traffic control devices); Work zone traffic control
• Subject Areas: Finance; Highways; History; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00795360
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jul 21 2000 12:00AM