Katie Johnson

Work zone safety for highway maintenance crews and road users alike is a top concern across the United States. To help states identify and implement technologies that improve safety, the National Highway Cooperative Research Program (NCHRP) recently released Synthesis 587: Use of Smart Work Zone Technologies for Improving Work Zone Safety. The publication documents and reviews the challenges and practices state DOTs have found for putting a variety of smart work zone technologies to use.

To discuss the publication’s findings, as well as promising new technologies still on the horizon, NCHRP will host a webinar on February 7 from 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Eastern.

View details about this and future webinars, and sign into MyTRB.org to register.

Image source: NCHRP

The current revision to the 2009 Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) published by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) offers a number of treatment options designed to make traffic signs eye-catching. However, the influence of these strategies on driver behavior required more study.

To learn the effectiveness of MUTCD-provided strategies like adding flashing beacons, colored flags and reflective strips, the FHWA partnered with three state DOTs to conduct field tests and observe drivers’ reactions. The results can help states identify effective treatments for a variety of sign types and locations.

Read the tech brief: Enhancing Conspicuity for Standard Signs and Retroreflectivity Strips on Posts, May 2022

Image source: FHWA

Across the United States, statistics show that highway work zones rank among the most hazardous for workplace injuries and fatalities. Especially dangerous are the transitional periods before and after the work zone is established, when placement or removal of traffic control devices can cause driver confusion or distraction.

To find ways to make workers safer in work zones, the Oregon Department of Transportation launched a multi-phase research project. In the first phase, the agency investigated other states’ practices for setting up and removing temporary work zones. Future phases will explore which aspects of work zone transitions are most hazardous and identify potential recommendations to improve worker safety.

Read the final report: Best Practices for Work Zone Safety During Traffic Control Placement, Removal, and Modification – Phase I, December 2022

Image source: Indiana Department of Transportation

 

In 2013, the Nebraska Department of Transportation (then the Department of Roads) applied penetrating concrete sealer (PCS) to the concrete median barriers along three of the state’s highways in an effort to mitigate deterioration. With additional concrete barriers scheduled for the same treatment in 2022, the agency sought to better understand the sealant’s effects, optimal application rates and whether surface preparation improves performance.

After power-washing a section of the barrier, maintenance crews applied PCS and compared the results with an unwashed and PCS-treated control section. Cores drilled from both sections showed that the sealer penetrated more deeply into the power-washed section, leading to new agency requirements for preparing and treating concrete median barriers along state highways.

Read the final report: Resealing Concrete Median Barriers With Penetrating Concrete Sealers, May 2022

Image source: Nebraska Department of Transportation

Last week, members of three AASHTO committees as well as local and regional transportation agencies and researchers gathered in Rhode Island for AASHTO’s 2022 Conference on Performance-Based Management, Planning, and Data. Meeting attendees discussed a range of asset management issues, including resilience and opportunities for incorporating data into strategic decision-making.

A follow-up webinar will be held Wednesday, December 21 at 2 p.m. Eastern, where presenters will share insights from the event and discuss tools available through the AASHTO Transportation Asset Management Portal. You can hear additional highlights of the conference and learn how transportation agencies can make their assets more resilient.

Learn more and register.

Image source: Wisconsin Department of Transportation

Like other transportation assets, slopes along highway roadsides must be regularly maintained to ensure stability and long-term performance. However, the natural variations and characteristics of each slope can make it difficult to identify where maintenance activities are needed most.

To prioritize its maintenance efforts more effectively, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation worked with researchers to develop a statistical model that combined current geographic information with historical data on a section of Wisconsin highway to predict the likelihood of slope failure. This model and framework could potentially be scaled to help engineers across the state.

Read the research brief: Geotechnical Asset Management for Slopes, November 2022

Image source: BGC Engineering