Practices in One-Lane Traffic Control on a Two-Lane Rural Highway (2018)

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5 One-Lane Two-Way (1L2W) traffic control on a rural highway poses a number of conundrums for transportation organizations. Minimizing congestion, maintaining mobility, and providing a safe environment for both road users and workers during planned and unplanned lane closure activities are critical. Although 1L2W traffic control is commonly used, the 2009 Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) devotes Sections 6C.10 through Section 6C.15 to discussing five acceptable methods for controlling this type of traffic movement (FHWA 2009). However, the MUTCD does contain considerable information in Section 6E, Flagger Control, on standardized flagging procedures and flagging devices that a flagger may use, including the relatively new automated flagger assistance devices (AFADs) and typical application drawings for incorporating the devices into flagging operations. The MUTCD also provides typical applications for human flagger con- trol (typical application TA-10), yield control (typical application TA-11), and temporary traffic control signals (TTCSs) (in typical application TA-12). The MUTCD furnishes guidance for lane closures on rural two-lane highways. Some state departments of transportation (DOTs) have developed practices to supplement the MUTCD applications. Objectives The primary objective of this synthesis was to identify practices and devices used for establish- ing 1L2W traffic control on rural two-lane highways. Information was gathered through a litera- ture review and a survey questionnaire of the state DOTs in the United States and transportation organizations in Canadian provinces. This synthesis seeks to identify practices and lessons learned in the following areas: • Construction versus maintenance activities (differences in standards); • Practices for both daytime and nighttime operations; • Minimum/maximum length of lane closure; • Delay time; • Short term (less than 24 hours) versus long term (more than 24 hours); • Treatment of side roads and driveways; • Speed control methods on approach to and through the temporary traffic control (TTC) zone; • Coordination of multiple TTC zones within a corridor and potential impacts on stakeholders (to include emergency services); • Applications for geometric alignment and topography (to include mountainous areas); • End-of-queue management methods; • The use of intelligent transportation system (ITS) applications in TTC zones; and • Other useful information as might be found in the literature and survey questionnaire output. C H A P T E R 1 Introduction

6 Practices in One-Lane Traffic Control on a Two-Lane Rural Highway Scope The scope of this research synthesis is confined to the analysis of information obtained from literature review efforts, survey questionnaire respondents, and follow-up interviews with regard to current practices and devices used for 1L2W operations on rural two-lane highways. Identify- ing the practices of state DOTs in the United States was the focus of the survey questionnaire. Survey questionnaires were also distributed to selected transportation organizations in Canada. Definition The MUTCD defines five categories of work duration including (1) long-term stationary, (2) intermediate-term stationary, (3) short-term stationary, (4) short duration, and (5) mobile (FHWA 2009). For the purpose of this synthesis, short-term (less than 24 hours) and long-term (more than 24 hours) work were considered in the survey questionnaire. Key terms used in this report are defined as follows: • Long-term: Work that occupies a location more than 24 hours; • Long-term stationary: As defined by the MUTCD, “work that occupies a location more than 3 days”; • Low volume: As defined by the MUTCD, “a low-volume road shall be a facility lying outside of built-up areas of cities, towns, and communities, and it shall have a traffic volume of less than 400 AADT”; • Short duration: As defined by the MUTCD, “work that occupies a location up to 1 hour”; • Short term: Work that occupies a location less than 24 hours; • Short-term stationary: As defined by the MUTCD, “daytime work that occupies a location for more than 1 hour within a single daylight period”; • 1L2W: One-Lane Two-Way, also called shuttle, or alternating, one-way operations; • TTC zone: As defined by the MUTCD, “an area of a highway where road user conditions are changed because of a work zone or incident by the use of TTC devices, flaggers, uniformed law enforcement officers, or other authorized personnel”; and • Worker: As defined by the MUTCD, “a person on foot whose duties place him or her within the right-of-way of a street, highway, or pathway, such as street, highway, or pathway con- struction and maintenance forces, survey crews, utility crews, responders to incidents within the street, highway, or pathway right-of-way, and law enforcement personnel when directing traffic, investigating crashes, and handling lane closures, obstructed roadways, and disasters within the right-of-way of a street, highway, or pathway.” Study Methodology Information on current organization practices regarding 1L2W operations at rural highway TTC zones was obtained through reviews of existing literature, responses to survey questionnaires distributed to transportation organizations, and follow-up interviews. A comprehensive literature review of U.S. and international sources established background information on current 1L2W traffic control practices and procedures. Particular attention was devoted to the most recent studies conducted within the last 5 years. Available resources were obtained through the Transportation Research Information Service (TRIS), University of Wisconsin–Madison (UW–Madison) Libraries and the Interlibrary Loan System at UW–Madison, and Internet searches. Researchers distributed a survey questionnaire to transportation organizations through the AASHTO Subcommittee on Construction to obtain information on current organization prac- tices regarding 1L2W operations in rural two-lane highway TTC zones. The survey questionnaire

Introduction 7 was designed to be comprehensive yet as direct and concise as possible in an attempt to achieve a strong response rate and minimize effort in responding to the survey questionnaire. Pilot sur- vey questionnaire beta tests were also conducted with the Topic 48-11 panel members. Survey results were processed and summarized in graphics or tables for use in the synthesis report. A copy of the survey document is included in Appendix B. Following the review of survey questionnaire results from responding organizations, specific organizations were then selected for interviews on the basis of their ability to offer additional insights that could enrich the study. Telephone interviews with organizational personnel from seven DOTs (California, Florida, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Oregon, and Rhode Island DOTs) were arranged to obtain additional and more detailed information together with case examples or other documents related to current practices. Synthesis Organization This synthesis is organized as follows: • Chapter 1 introduces the subject area and covers the objectives, scope, definitions, and study methodology; • Chapter 2 presents the comprehensive literature review and provides an overview of pub- lished research and case examples related to 1L2W operations; • Chapter 3 discusses the findings on respondents’ experience with various 1L2W operations based on survey questionnaire responses and follow-up interviews; • Chapter 4 presents case examples; • Chapter 5 provides conclusions, including the state of the practice for 1L2W operations, cur- rent applications, design thresholds, case examples, and advantages and disadvantages of the 1L2W traffic control methods as established by the literature review, survey questionnaire responses, and follow-up discussions; and • Appendices A, B, C, and D present traffic analysis for 1L2W operations, the survey question- naire, the survey results on affecting factors, and survey respondents, respectively.