A Guidebook for Nighttime Construction: Impacts on Safety, Quality, and Productivity (2012)

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1 Roadways in the United States are becoming more congested each day. These same roads are also often reaching the middle or end of their useful lives. Transportation agencies are working diligently to meet the demands of the traveling public through construction and maintenance activities. Because of increased traffic congestion during the day, road construction and maintenance activities are being conducted during nighttime hours. Concern over the impact of nighttime activities on risk, illumination, nuisances, productivity, quality, cost, safety, and communica- tions, as compared to daytime activities, has inhibited the use of nighttime construction by some agencies. The concerns have prompted research to investigate the impacts of nighttime construction projects and the development of a research report and this practice-oriented Guidebook. Through a multi-method approach of literature review, surveys, case studies (with semi- structured interviews), and field data collection, the discrepancies between nighttime and daytime activities were found to be minimal. With early identification of issues and good planning—beginning early in project development—the advantages of nighttime construc- tion can outweigh the difficulties and yield a successful project. The conclusions that were reached include the following: • Successful nighttime construction requires good illumination. • The decision to use nighttime construction should be made as early in the project development process as possible. • Nighttime construction concerns are not mutually exclusive, as there is interaction between them. (For example, nighttime construction requires added cost for illumination and better traffic control, but productivity is usually better. Therefore, overall project cost is comparable to cost for a daytime project.) • Early decision making and proper planning can limit the disadvantages of nighttime work and enhance the advantages. S U M M A R Y A Guidebook for Nighttime Construction: Impacts on Safety, Quality, and Productivity