Temporary Traffic Control for Highway Work Zones MONTHLY DELMARVA MISS UTILITY MEMBER MEETING MARCH 20, 2014 PRESENTED BY: Adam Weiser, P.E. PTOE Safety Programs Manager Delaware Department of Transportation
Agenda Background Information Introduction to Temporary Traffic Control (TTC) Planning Considerations TTC Elements TTC Operations Contact Information Questions
Background Information
Background Information Number of highway work zones continue to increase Capital projects Maintenance projects Utility and developer projects Increasing congestion in and around work zones Increased amount of night work as a result Delaware Strategic Highway Safety Plan Designing Safer Work Zones Secondary Emphasis Area #4
Fatal Work Zone Crashes 900 800 700 600 500 400 National Delaware 300 200 100 0 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Source: NHTSA (2013 national data not yet available)
Delaware Work Zone Crashes 2006-2013 400 350 300 250 200 150 Property Damage Only Personal Injury Fatal 100 50 0 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Source: Delaware State Police
Delaware Work Zone Crashes 2006-2013 1000 900 800 700 600 500 Manner of Impact 400 300 200 100 0 Rear End Head On Sideswipe Rear to Side Rear to Rear Other Unknown Single Vehicle Angle Source: Delaware State Police
Introduction to TTC
Introduction to TTC Temporary Traffic Control (TTC) Normal function of roadway, or a private road open to public travel, is suspended or disrupted, TTC planning provides for Continuity of movements for all users Access to property and utilities TTC shall be provided for all road users Motorists Bicyclists Pedestrians, including those with disabilities Types of Work Zones Highway construction Utility work (installation, repair, relocation) Maintenance operations Traffic incidents (crashes)
Design and Construction Guidance Delaware Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) Part 6 Temporary Traffic Control DelDOT s Work Zone Safety & Mobility Guidelines ATTSA Quality Guidelines Brochure AASHTO Roadside Design Guide AASHTO Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH)
Permits Permit required for any work that impacts DelDOT right-of-way Permits obtained through the DelDOT Public Works Section New Castle County (302) 326-4679 Kent County (302) 760-2433 Sussex County (302) 853-1340 Types of Permits Entrance permits (subdivision entrances) Utility permits (self explanatory) Safety permits (all other types of work)
Planning Considerations
Planning Considerations Work Duration Long-term stationary occupies location more than 3 days Intermediate-term stationary occupies location more than one daylight period up to 3 days, or nighttime work lasting more than 1 hour Short-term stationary occupies location more than 1 hour within single daylight period Short duration occupies location up to 1 hour Mobile work that moves intermittently or continuously
Planning Considerations Mobility Impacts Capacity reduction due to work zone alone Can occur without impacting travel lanes Rubber necking Capacity reduction due to loss of travel lane(s) Increased and even excessive queuing Increased travel time due to low speed and queuing Increased delay, especially when impacting signalized intersections Impacts due to detours Increased travel time Increased fuel consumption Mobility Impacts lead to increased Road User Costs These are quantifiable impacts
Planning Considerations Mobility Impacts All road users are impacted Vehicular traffic Bicyclists Pedestrians, including those with disabilities Impacts to emergency response times Transit impacts Work zone strategies should minimize these impacts
Safety Impacts Worker Safety Exposure protection Planning Considerations Use of barrier or other positive separation between work space and traffic space High-visibility safety apparel Training Shadow vehicles with crash attenuators Alternative traffic control schemes Full or partial road closures Law enforcement use Lighting Special devices Rumble strips Changeable message signs Intrusion warning devices
Traffic Safety Impacts Planning Considerations Separation from workers Work vehicle ingress/egress Give work vehicles space to accelerate and decelerate away from traffic Storage of equipment Equipment and material are considered fixed objects Pavement edge drop-offs Speed limits
TTC Elements
Components of Highway Works Zones Four main component areas Advance warning area Transition area Activity Area Buffer Space Work Space Termination Area
Components of Highway Work Zones Advance Warning Area Informs road users of what to expect Can consist of a single sign or vehicle with flashing beacons, or a series of TTC signs in advance of a TTC activity area Distance of advance warning area varies depending upon type of road and duration of work
Components of Highway Work Zones Transition Area Section of highway where road users are directed out of their normal path Tapers are generally used Merging taper Lane shift taper Shoulder taper
Components of Highway Work Zones Tapers L WS 60 2 S 40 MPH L WS S > 40 MPH L = taper length in feet W = width of offset in feet* S = posted speed limit or off-peak 85 th percentile speed prior to work starting Type of Taper Merging Taper Taper Length at least L Shifting Taper 0.5 L to L* Shoulder Taper One-Lane, Two-Way Traffic Taper Downstream Taper at least 0.33 L 50 feet minimum, 100 feet maximum 50 feet minimum, 100 feet maximum
Components of Highway Work Zones Types of Tapers and Buffer Spaces Source: 2011 Delaware MUTCD, Figure 6C-2
Components of Highway Work Zones Activity Area Section of highway where the work takes place Comprised of three main components Traffic Space Work Space Buffer Space Longitudinal Buffer Space Lateral Buffer Space
Components of Highway Work Zones Types of Tapers and Buffer Spaces Source: 2011 Delaware MUTCD, Figure 6C-2
TTC Devices Signs Channelization Devices Cones Drums Barricades Arrow Boards Truck Mounted Attenuators Flaggers Quality of TTC Devices
Signs Sections 6F.02 6F.58 Warning signs most commonly used Shall be diamond-shaped with a black legend and border or a fluorescent orange background Sign placement Spacing based on speed of roadway Table 6C-1 Sign mounting Up to three days mounted on temporary sign stand 5-foot mounting height (pavement to bottom of sign) Greater than three days permanently mounted on breakaway sign posts 7-foot mounting height Signs and stands not in use shall be removed from the roadway each day
Channelization Devices Cones (Section 6F.64) Shall be orange in color Shall be a minimum of 28-inches tall Shall not be used at night, except for emergencies and planned special events Shall have two retroreflective white bands (cones 28 36 in height) Drums (Section 6F.67) Shall be a minimum of 36 in height and a minimum 18 in width Markings shall be alternating orange and white starting with orange at the top. Fluorescent orange and white prismatic retroreflective sheeting Ballast shall not be placed on top of drum
Channelization Devices Barricades (Section 6F.68) Type I not permitted on state-maintained roadways Type II shall only be used for pedestrian channelization along temporary pedestrian paths. They shall not be used to close a roadway, sidewalk or crosswalk Type III barricades permitted for use to close roadways, sidewalks and/or crosswalks For full road closures, barricades shall extend the entire width from curb-to-curb or edge of pavement to edge of pavement Lights are not required and should not be used at the tops of Type III barricades
Arrow Boards Section 6F.61 Flashing arrow or flashing caution operating modes should be used on state-maintained roadways Prefer not to use sequential modes Shoulder work use the flashing caution mode Lane closure use the flashing arrow mode Do not use for lane shifts A One-Direction Large Arrow (W1-6) sign shall be centered below and attached to the bottom of all trailer mounted arrow boards Remove from roadway when not in use
Truck Mounted Attenuators Section 6F.86 Energy-absorbing device attached to the rear of shadow vehicles (truck or trailer) Designed to absorb the impact of an errant vehicle Protects the workers on the roadway Shall be used on roadways with a posted speed limit greater than 40 miles per hour Long-term stationary Intermediate-term stationary Short-term Mobile operations Must be crash tested in accordance with NCHRP 350/MASH Roll-ahead distance
Flaggers (Section 6E) Other Devices Shall be certified by a DelDOT-recognized flagger certification program Currently ATSSA certification Training available through T2 center or Delaware Safety Council Shall not use unapproved electronic devices No cell phones, no texting, no MP3 players, etc. Shall wear a Class III safety vest Light plants Used at night for all flagger stations Vehicle lighting All vehicles in work zone required to have a large rotating amber beacon or strobe lights Must be seen 360-degrees around the vehicle Visible for 3,000 feet under normal atmospheric conditions
High Visibility Safety Apparel Covered in Section 6D.03 of Delaware MUTCD Minimum requirement ANSI/ISEA 107-2004, Performance Class 2 high-visibility safety apparel for all workers, except flaggers, within the right-ofway Flaggers are required to wear ANSI/ISEA, Performance Class 3 high-visibility safety apparel Regardless of activity, highvisibility safety apparel is required. Don t step out of your vehicle without it!
High Visibility Safety Apparel
Quality of TTC Devices The use of clean, highly reflective and legible devices promotes work zone safety DelDOT adopted the ATSSA Quality Guidelines brochure as it s guidelines for the quality of TTC devices Any device not meeting the marginal criteria shall be removed from the roadway
TTC Operations
Typical Applications Cases are now Typical Applications (TAs) Table 6H-1 provides index for TAs
Typical Applications Most commonly used Typical Applications TA-3 Shoulder work on a Two-Lane Road TA-3A Shoulder work on a Multilane Divided Highway TA-10 Lane closure on a Two-Lane Road TA-33 Lane closure on a Multilane Divided Highway TA-37 Double lane closure on a Multilane Divided Highway Approved permit will identify the proper TA to be used If a TA does not meet the needs of the work area, TTC plans must be developed and approved
Pedestrian Accommodations If the TTC zone affects the movement of pedestrians, adequate pedestrian access and walkways shall be provided. It an accessible path is affected, a temporary path with similar accessible features but be provided Do not park vehicles on sidewalks If sidewalks need to be closed, utilize TA-28 or TA-29 to accommodate pedestrians
Aerial Work Interim Guidance issued on November 13, 2012 Work being performed over a roadway open to traffic Travel lane and/or shoulder directly below work area shall be closed Use appropriate TTC for location, duration and type of work being performed Emergency work that creates an unsafe situation for the traveling public Lanes can remain open until imminent safety hazard is dealt with Rules above apply thereafter to complete repairs
Installation of TTC Setting and Removing TTC Install advance warning signs, starting with the first sign and ending with the END ROAD WORK sign Install shoulder taper Install arrow board on shoulder Install lane closure taper in direction of travel Install channelization devices for buffer and activity areas Install termination taper Removal of TTC Remove devices in the reverse direction starting with the termination area Remove arrow board and shoulder closure taper Remove signs in the direction of travel starting with the first sign and ending with the END ROAD WORK sign Always review the TTC after initial setup and then periodically during duration of work Use TMAs as appropriate
Safety Section Contact Information Wayne Hamilton, North District Safety Officer O: (302) 326-4495 E: Wayne.Hamilton@state.de.us Jim King, Canal District Safety Officer, Acting O: (302) 659-4071 E: James.King@state.de.us Gerald Nagyiski, Jr. Chief Safety Officer O: (302) 659-4072 E: Gerald.Nagyiski@state.de.us Jim King, Central District Safety Officer O: (302) 659-4071 E: John.Subda@state.de.us Adam Weiser, P.E., PTOE Safety Programs Manager O: (302) 659-4073 E: Adam.Weiser@state.de.us Dan Thompson, South District Safety Officer O: (302) 853-1339 E: Dan.Thompson@state.de.us
More Information Delaware MUTCD webpage: www.mutcd.deldot.gov
Thank you! Questions???