Selecting the Most Feasible Construction Phasing Plans for Urban Highway Rehabilitation Projects

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.42705842020PDFTech ReportChoi, KunheeJeong, H DavidLee, Yong-CheolYin, YangtianTransportation Consortium of South-Central States (Tran-SET)Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge, La.)United States. Department of Transportation. University Transportation Centers (UTC) ProgramUnited States. Department of Transportation. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and TechnologyTransportation Consortium of South-Central StatesUnited StatesConstruction schedulingDecision support systemsRehabilitation (Maintenance)Time durationTraffic loadsTraffic simulationUrban highwaysWork zoneswork zone lengthroad user costproduction rate19ITSLSU0769A3551747106August 2019 \u2013 August 2020Despite the abundance of research that has aimed to understand the effects of highway work zones, very little definitive information is available concerning the determination of work zone length (WZL). Quantitative studies that holistically model WZL are very rare. To fill this gap, this study identifies critical factors affecting WZL and develops decision support models that determine the optimal WZL in a balanced tradeoff between motorists\u2019 inconvenience due to traffic disruption and their opportunity cost. A high-confidence dataset was created by conducting a series of scheduling and traffic simulations and analyses. The results revealed that traffic loading and work zone duration are critical factors, with traffic loading at approximately 41,000 vehicles-per-day being an important benchmarking point. Based on these findings, a decision support model was developed to determine the most feasible WZL. As the first of its kind, this study will help state transportation agencies devise sounder construction phasing plans by providing a point of reference when establishing WZL in a viable way to minimize traffic disruption during construction.122