A Read to Consider…A Procedure for Assessing and Planning Nighttime Highway Construction and Maintenance – NCHRP Report 475

Preface: Increasingly, it is becoming necessary to conduct construction and maintenance on operational highways while the highway continues to carry its normal traffic volume, or close to its normal volume. The public and community often expect that such work will result in little or no disruption to normal travel patterns and not limit access to land use along the highway corridor. There is also increasing concern for the safety of the traveling public and workers at highway work sites. In addition, highway agencies are under increasing pressure to complete the work in a manner that addresses quality, cost, and scheduling criteria, enabling construction and repair workers to “get in, get out, and stay out.”

Whether the work entails routine maintenance activities such as patching potholes and sealing cracks and joints, more extensive rehabilitation such as setting pavement overlays and conducting bridge deck repairs, or major reconstruction, activities that involve work in the travel lanes result in some measure of disruption to normal travel patterns. Such work also poses increased safety risks and makes it more difficult to meet construction quality, cost, and scheduling goals.

When traffic volumes are well below the capacity of the highway, at least for a sizeable portion of the day, a number of options are normally available to accommodate both the normal traffic flow and the work activity within the existing roadway. These options typically consist of such techniques as closing lanes, shifting traffic onto the shoulder, or operating two-way traffic on one roadway of a divided highway while the work proceeds in the other roadway.

When traffic volumes approach the capacity of a highway section, especially when volumes remain at or close to capacity for most of the normal work day, reducing the total number of lanes available to traffic may result in delays, congestion, and overall unacceptable conditions in terms of congestion and community impact. In many cases, traffic congestion and delays also closely correlate with or lead to problems in terms of safety and adequate access to the work site. When such conditions arise, it usually becomes necessary to examine alternate traffic control strategies that can accommodate the traffic demands on the highway section and permit the work activities to proceed in a manner that reduces the adverse effects on all three traffic control objectives (i.e., safety, traffic and community impact, and constructability).

Except for very minor efforts, a traffic control plan (TCP) is normally prepared for most construction or maintenance activities. The TCP focuses on work zone traffic control, specific detour routes, and construction procedures. Traffic demand on the facility under construction is accommodated either within the roadway or (by establishing detours to carry traffic) around the work area. Traditional TCPs consist of sharing the roadway between traffic and construction or rerouting traffic onto other facilities using conventional traffic control devices and setups. Nontraditional TCPs typically may add contractual requirements to accelerate the work, introduce techniques to reduce the work space and time needed to complete the work, or shift the work to periods with less traffic (i.e., nights or weekends).

Read more – To download and read the full report visit http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nchrp/nchrp_rpt_475.pdf

Another report worth reading…

NCHRP Report 726- A Guidebook for Nighttime Construction: Impact on Safety, Quality, and Productivity

http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nchrp/nchrp_rpt_726.pdf

Note: A Traffic Control Supervisor (TCS) is responsible for reading Traffic Control Plans (TCP) and supervising Traffic Control Technicians (TCT) and other personnel on construction sites. They are also trained in reading, interpreting and modifying the TCP as necessary. This is vital in providing the highest level of safety for motorist, workers and pedestrians on and around a construction zone. Flagger and TCT courses are taught through the LHTAC T2 Center. Please visit www.lhtac.org/training/courses to view and register for courses being offered this fall.

ATSSA is offering TCT and TCS courses at a special price of $25/each at the following locations;

October 6-8, Idaho Falls

November 4-6, Coeur d’Alene

Please contact ATSSA to register for these courses.