TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD 2025 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE*

OFFICERS

CHAIR: Leslie S. Richards, General Manager, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), Philadelphia

VICE CHAIR: Joel M. Jundt, Secretary of Transportation, South Dakota Department of Transportation, Pierre

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Victoria Sheehan, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC

MEMBERS

James F. Albaugh, President and CEO, The Boeing Company (retired), Scottsdale, AZ

Carlos M. Braceras, Executive Director, Utah Department of Transportation, Salt Lake City

Douglas C. Ceva, Vice President, Customer Lead Solutions, Prologis, Inc., Jupiter, FL

Nancy Daubenberger, Commissioner of Transportation, Minnesota Department of Transportation, St. Paul

Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, New York State Department of Transportation, Albany

Garrett Eucalitto, Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Transportation, Newington

Andrew Fremier, Executive Director, Metropolitan Transportation Commission, San Francisco, CA

Martha Grabowski, Professor Emerita, Information Systems, Le Moyne College, Madden College of Business & Economics, Cazenovia, NY

Randell Iwasaki, President and CEO, Iwasaki Consulting Services, Walnut Creek, CA

Carol A. Lewis, Professor, Transportation Studies, Texas Southern University, Houston

Hani S. Mahmassani, W.A. Patterson Distinguished Chair in Transportation; Director, Transportation Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL

Scott C. Marler, Director, Iowa Department of Transportation, Ames

Ricardo Martinez, Adjunct Professor of Emergency Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Decatur, GA

Russell McMurry, Commissioner, Georgia Department of Transportation, Atlanta

Craig E. Philip, Research Professor and Director, VECTOR, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN

Steward T.A. Pickett, Distinguished Senior Scientist, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY

Susan A. Shaheen, Professor and Co-Director, Transportation Sustainability Research Center, University of California, Berkeley

Marc Williams, Executive Director, Texas Department of Transportation, Austin

EX OFFICIO MEMBERS

Michael R. Berube, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Sustainable Transportation, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC

Steven Cliff, Executive Officer, California Air Resources Board, Sacramento

LeRoy Gishi, Chief, Division of Transportation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, Germantown, MD

Firas Ibrahim, Director, Office of Research, Development, and Technology, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology (OST-R), Washington, DC

Jason Kelly, Deputy Commanding General for Civil Works and Emergency Operations, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, DC

Sandra Knight, President, WaterWonks, LLC, Washington, DC

Zahra “Niloo” Parvinashtiani, Engineer, Mobility Consultant Solutions, Iteris Inc., Fairfax, VA, and Chair, TRB Young Members Coordinating Council

Chris Rocheleau, Acting Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration, Washington, DC

Gloria Shepherd, Acting Deputy Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC

Karl Simon, Director, Transportation and Climate Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC

Paul P. Skoutelas, President and CEO, American Public Transportation Association, Washington, DC

Jim Tymon, Executive Director, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Washington, DC

___________________

^* Membership as of February 2025.

NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM

NCHRP RESEARCH REPORT 1142

Innovative Approaches to Enhancing Safety and Efficiency in Work Zones

A GUIDE

Mike Mollenhauer

Sarah Robinson

Stephanie Baker

Tammy Trimble

Jean Paul Talledo Vilela

Scott Fritz

VIRGINIA TECH TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE

Blacksburg, VA

Michael Fontaine

Hyun Cho

Chien-Lun Lan

VIRGINIA TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH COUNCIL

Charlottesville, VA

Paul Pisano

PAUL PISANO, LLC

Arlington, VA

Subscriber Categories

Data and Information Technology • Operations and Traffic Management • Safety and Human Factors

Research sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration

NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM

Systematic, well-designed, and implementable research is the most effective way to solve many problems facing state department of transportation (DOT) administrators and engineers. Often, highway problems are of local or regional interest and can best be studied by state DOTs individually or in cooperation with their state universities and others. However, the accelerating growth of highway transportation results in increasingly complex problems of wide interest to highway authorities. These problems are best studied through a coordinated program of cooperative research.

Recognizing this need, the leadership of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in 1962 initiated an objective national highway research program using modern scientific techniques—the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP). NCHRP is supported on a continuing basis by funds from participating member states of AASHTO and receives the full cooperation and support of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), United States Department of Transportation.

The Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine was requested by AASHTO to administer the research program because of TRB’s recognized objectivity and understanding of modern research practices. TRB is uniquely suited for this purpose for many reasons: TRB maintains an extensive committee structure from which authorities on any highway transportation subject may be drawn; TRB possesses avenues of communications and cooperation with federal, state, and local governmental agencies, universities, and industry; TRB’s relationship to the National Academies is an insurance of objectivity; and TRB maintains a full-time staff of specialists in highway transportation matters to bring the findings of research directly to those in a position to use them.

The program is developed on the basis of research needs identified by chief administrators and other staff of the highway and transportation departments, by committees of AASHTO, and by the FHWA. Topics of the highest merit are selected by the AASHTO Special Committee on Research and Innovation (R&I), and each year R&I’s recommendations are proposed to the AASHTO Board of Directors, the FHWA, and the National Academies. Research projects to address these topics are defined by NCHRP, and qualified research agencies are selected from submitted proposals. Administration and oversight of research contracts are the responsibilities of NCHRP.

The needs for highway research are many, and NCHRP can make significant contributions to solving highway transportation problems of mutual concern to many responsible groups. The program, however, is intended to complement, rather than to substitute for or duplicate, other highway research programs.

NCHRP RESEARCH REPORT 1142

Project 10-109

ISSN 2572-3766 (Print)

ISSN 2572-3774 (Online)

ISBN 978-0-309-73324-3

Library of Congress Control Number 2025934422

© 2025 by the National Academy of Sciences. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and the graphical logo are trademarks of the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

COPYRIGHT INFORMATION

Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their materials and for obtaining written permissions from publishers or persons who own the copyright to any previously published or copyrighted material used herein.

Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) grants permission to reproduce material in this publication for classroom and not-for-profit purposes. Permission is given with the understanding that none of the material will be used to imply TRB, AASHTO, APTA, FAA, FHWA, FTA, GHSA, or NHTSA endorsement of a particular product, method, or practice. It is expected that those reproducing the material in this document for educational and not-for-profit uses will give appropriate acknowledgment of the source of any reprinted or reproduced material. For other uses of the material, request permission from CRP.

NOTICE

The research report was reviewed by the technical panel and accepted for publication according to procedures established and overseen by the Transportation Research Board and approved by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

This material is based upon work supported by the FHWA under Agreement No. 693JJ32350025. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed or implied in this publication are those of the researchers who performed the research and are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; the FHWA; or the program sponsors.

The Transportation Research Board does not develop, issue, or publish standards or specifications. The Transportation Research Board manages applied research projects which provide the scientific foundation that may be used by Transportation Research Board sponsors, industry associations, or other organizations as the basis for revised practices, procedures, or specifications.

The Transportation Research Board; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; and the sponsors of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names or logos appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the object of the report.

Published research reports of the

NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM

are available from

National Academies Press
500 Fifth Street, NW, Keck 360
Washington, DC 20001

(800) 624-6242

and can be ordered through the Internet by going to
https://nap.nationalacademies.org

Printed in the United States of America

The National Academy of Sciences was established in 1863 by an Act of Congress, signed by President Lincoln, as a private, nongovernmental institution to advise the nation on issues related to science and technology. Members are elected by their peers for outstanding contributions to research. Dr. Marcia McNutt is president.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to bring the practices of engineering to advising the nation. Members are elected by their peers for extraordinary contributions to engineering. Dr. John L. Anderson is president.

The National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) was established in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to advise the nation on medical and health issues. Members are elected by their peers for distinguished contributions to medicine and health. Dr. Victor J. Dzau is president.

The three Academies work together as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation and conduct other activities to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions. The National Academies also encourage education and research, recognize outstanding contributions to knowledge, and increase public understanding in matters of science, engineering, and medicine.

Learn more about the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine at www.nationalacademies.org.

The Transportation Research Board is one of seven major program divisions of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The mission of the Transportation Research Board is to mobilize expertise, experience, and knowledge to anticipate and solve complex transportation-related challenges. The Board’s varied activities annually engage about 8,500 engineers, scientists, and other transportation researchers and practitioners from the public and private sectors and academia, all of whom contribute their expertise in the public interest. The program is supported by state departments of transportation, federal agencies including the component administrations of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other organizations and individuals interested in the development of transportation.

Learn more about the Transportation Research Board at www.TRB.org.

COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS

CRP STAFF FOR NCHRP RESEARCH REPORT 1142

Monique R. Evans, Director, Cooperative Research Programs

Waseem Dekelbab, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs, and Manager, National Cooperative Highway Research Program

Camille Crichton-Sumners, Senior Program Officer

Dajaih Bias-Johnson, Senior Program Assistant

Natalie Barnes, Director of Publications

Heather DiAngelis, Associate Director of Publications

Janet M. McNaughton, Senior Editor

NCHRP PROJECT 10-109 PANEL

Field of Materials and Construction—Area of Specs, Procedures, and Practices

Adam David Carreon, CivTech Inc., Scottsdale, AZ (Chair)

Nithin K. Agarwal, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

Jerome S. Gluck, AECOM, New York, NY

Michael D. Hurtt, CHA Consulting, Inc., Albany, NY

Tadeaus Kelly, North Carolina Department of Transportation, Garner, NC

Juan D. Pava Sierra, Illinois Department of Transportation, Springfield, IL

Hua Xiang, Maryland Department of Transportation, Baltimore, MD

Jawad N. Paracha, FHWA Liaison

Casey Soneira, AASHTO Liaison

FOREWORD

By Camille Crichton-Sumners

Staff Officer

Transportation Research Board

NCHRP Research Report 1142: Innovative Approaches to Enhancing Safety and Efficiency in Work Zones: A Guide presents state-of-the-art information for enhancing safety and mobility in work zones. The lessons learned and potential benefits of deploying a variety of smart work zone technologies are presented along with several use cases. The guide, developed on the basis of evaluation of current and emerging technologies, provides traffic safety practitioners with successful practices for implementing smart work zone technologies in the vicinity of construction and maintenance work zones.

Each year, hundreds of lives are lost in crashes in the vicinity of roadway work zones when motorists disregard temporary traffic control warning signs. To mitigate this, innovative strategies employing smart work zone technologies are used to minimize work zone crashes. New approaches are being tested and used to alert motorists or warn them to comply with the work zone traffic control information. These approaches include the use of new and innovative technologies for intelligent transportation systems (ITS) for dynamic management of work zone traffic impacts. Examples are queue and speed management as well as crowdsourcing applications that provide supervision to travelers. Data collection techniques involve the use of cellular location data and feedback to monitor traffic queuing and suggest alternate routes to navigate or avoid roadway maintenance or construction work zones. In addition, new technologies allow for greater protection of roadside workers by either removing them from vulnerable work scenarios through automation or alerting them to potential dangers caused by errant vehicles entering the work zone, close proximity to moving work zone equipment, and movements outside of safe and protected areas.

Under NCHRP Project 10-109, “Modern Solutions to Safe and Efficient Work Zone Travel,” the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University was asked to (1) evaluate innovative and adaptive technologies that are attention-capturing and that enhance work zone safety and mobility; (2) evaluate the use of crowdsourcing applications and data analytics for dynamic work zone devices and in-vehicle notification for traffic management; and (3) develop a guide for the application and management of innovative work zone technologies. Researchers from the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute carried out this work. The research included an evaluation of current and emerging technologies that may be used to alert motorists to work zone conditions in real-time, proof-of-concept deployments of emerging technologies, and the development of a guide to assist in the evaluation and selection of smart work zone technologies.

In addition to NCHRP Research Report 1142, documentation of the overall research effort is available as NCHRP Web-Only Document 418: Modern Solutions to Safe and Efficient Work Zone Travel. Two deliverables not included in those publications—a PowerPoint summary of the guide and an implementation plan—can be found on the National Academies Press website (nap.nationalacademies.org) by searching for NCHRP Research Report 1142 and looking under “Resources.”

CONTENTS

Chapter 1 Introduction

Background

Target Audience

Learning Outcomes

Chapter 2 Use Cases

Traveler Information Systems

Queue Warning Systems

Work Zone Intrusion Alert Systems

Work Zone Presence Systems

Speed Harmonization Systems

Speed Compliance Systems

Dynamic Merge Assistance Systems

Chapter 3 Application of Emerging Technologies in SWZ Use Cases

Traveler Information Systems

Queue Warning Systems

Work Zone Intrusion Alert Systems

Work Zone Presence/Layout Systems

Speed Harmonization

Speed Compliance

Dynamic Merge Systems

Chapter 4 Pros and Cons of SWZ Technologies

CAV Technologies

Crowdsourced Data/Smartphone Applications

Speed Safety Camera Systems

Chapter 5 Anticipated Best Practices for Emerging Technologies in SWZs

Connected and Automated Vehicles

Crowdsourced Data

On-Call Contracts for Deploying SWZ Technologies

Structuring Contracts

Chapter 6 Additional Resources

Publications

Other Resources

References

Acronyms

Appendix North Carolina DOT Connected Lane Closure Devices and Dynamic Zipper Merge System

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