CHAPTER 1

Introduction

Background

Work zones present imminent safety hazards for roadway workers as well as passing motorists due to several factors, including driver distraction, changes in traffic patterns, narrowed rights of way, and general congestion. According to the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA’s) Work Zone Management Program, 857 fatalities occurred in work zones in the United States in 2020 (National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse n.d.-b). One work zone fatality occurs for every four billion vehicle miles of travel and for every $112 million worth of roadway construction expenditures. In addition to safety concerns, work zones present mobility issues and frustrations for traveling motorists, accounting for 10% of overall congestion and 24% of unexpected freeway delays (FHWA n.d.).

Smart work zones (SWZs) leverage innovative technological strategies such as intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and crowdsourcing applications to mitigate the safety and mobility concerns associated with work zones (National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse n.d.-a). Such technological solutions have myriad benefits. For instance, these technologies can provide guidance to traveling motorists about upcoming work zones to suggest alternative routing options and alert them to penalties for noncompliance with traffic controls or suggested speed limits. Additional data about features of SWZs (e.g., lane configuration changes, locations of hazards, and reduced speed zones) for use in mobile applications (e.g., Waze, HERE, and Google applications) can improve driver and connected and automated vehicle (CAV) awareness.

While a considerable number of modern technologies are being developed and piloted, implementation of SWZ solutions has been mixed. Some solutions, such as traveler information systems, are widely deployed, while others have still not yet been broadly adopted. Potential barriers to adoption related to issues such as cost, complexity/practicality, effectiveness, organizational dependencies (e.g., technical capabilities of the workforce and competition for funding), and solution maturity need to be identified and mitigated. Moreover, the lack of consistent, standardized work zone data across jurisdictions remains a challenge for existing technological solutions. The goal of this project was to develop a guide to improving work zone safety and mobility for practitioners involved in the implementation of SWZ technologies.

Target Audience

The target audience of the guide is infrastructure owner-operators (IOOs) such as state departments of transportation (DOTs) and private roadway operators, work zone technology developers, and work zone operations contractors. The products of this research will have broad applicability across most state DOTs.

The organization of this guide provides readers with a clear and concise overview of the use cases for SWZ technology, emerging technologies in each of the use cases, pros and cons of SWZ technologies, best practices for emerging technologies in SWZs, and additional resources to support their efforts in improving work zone safety and mobility. The next section outlines the learning outcomes that the reader should achieve after reading the guide. Chapter 2 then presents seven use cases that encompass the major work zone technologies that are currently available: traveler information systems, queue warning systems, work zone intrusion alert systems, work zone presence/layout, speed harmonization systems, speed compliance systems, and dynamic merge assistance systems. These technologies are rated on a four-point scale ranging from 0 to 3 to determine their readiness for scaled-up deployment.

Chapter 3 discusses the emerging technologies in each of the seven use cases. These include CAVs, smartphone applications, smart vests, traffic guard worker alert systems, and speed safety camera systems. Chapter 4 considers the pros and cons of technologies to help readers understand the benefits and drawbacks of each. Chapter 5 discusses the best practices for emerging technologies in SWZs to provide readers with practical suggestions for adopting these technologies. Chapter 6 lists additional resources related to SWZ technologies, including reports, guides, and websites, that readers can consult for further information.

Learning Outcomes

This guide aims to achieve the following learning outcomes:

1. Understand innovative and adaptive technologies that are attention capturing and can enhance work zone safety and mobility.
2. Understand the pros and cons of using CAVs and crowdsourcing applications for dynamic work zone devices.
3. Understand the best practices for CAVs and crowdsourcing applications for dynamic work zone devices that will help overcome the barriers to the adoption of these SWZ technologies.
4. Locate resources and personnel at state DOTs who are implementing the aforementioned SWZ systems.