30 likes | 114 Views
Improving Safety in High-Speed Work Zones: A Super 70 Study. Sponsor : INDOT/FHWA through Joint Transportation Research Program
E N D
Improving Safety in High-Speed Work Zones: A Super 70 Study • Sponsor: INDOT/FHWA through Joint Transportation Research Program • PU Center for Road Safety Research Team: Andrew Tarko, Principal Investigator Mouyid Islam, Research Assist. Jose Thomaz, Data Analyst • Business Owner: Guy Boruff, INDOT • Project Administrator: Tommy Nantung, INDOT Super 70 section Super 70 period: Feb 23 – Nov 16, 2007 • Safety countermeasures used: • Diverting heavy vehicles (13+ ton) • Advanced work zone information • Aggressive police enforcement • Moveable barriers
Research Approach and Data Modeled: Likelihood of crash in 30 min intervals along ¼ mi road segments Likelihood of severe outcome per crash Simulation of safety for various road and traffic scenarios 150 variables included 11.5 million observations 1.7 billion pieces of data 0.5 million observations used
Recommendations and Benefits • Divert heavy vehicles (13 ton +) on alternative interstate routes by using advanced information and aggressive police enforcement • Reduce speed limit and apply as wide shoulders inside a work zone as possible • Use a sufficient number of lanes and moveable barriers to provide needed capacity inside a work zone • Warn drivers approaching a work zone during periods with heightened risk of crash (identified with the econometric model). Estimated safety benefits (2005 dollars) during the Super 70 period: • 100 crashes prevented with the applied countermeasures • $1.3 million saved with police enforcement • $0.7 million saved with re-routing heavy vehicles