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Written/Compiled by:

Juan M. Morales, P.E.
J.M. Morales & Associates
1320 Pavilion Club Way
Reston, VA 20194
(703) 471-7031
Web address: www.jmmassoc.com
E-mail: jmmassoc@aol.com

For

American Traffic Safety Services Association
15 Riverside Parkway, Suite 100
Fredericksburg, VA 22406
(800) 272-8772
Web Address: www.atssa.com
E-mail: general@atssa.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface

Introduction

Objectives of Highway Work Zones

Roles and Responsibilities

Common Police Service in Work Zones

Understanding Work Zone Traffic Control

    Standards and Guidelines

    Component Parts of Typical Work Zone

Recommended Practices

Field Checklist

Typical Applications

References

Preface

The purpose of this guide is to present basic guidelines for the safe and effective use of law enforcement officers in highway work zones. This handy reference presents information on the options available to both officers and contractors working on highway construction sites.

Most of the information contained in this guide was obtained from the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), 2003 Edition, several focus groups with traffic safety and law enforcement personnel, and other references listed in the References section of this document.

This guide does not constitute a standard, recommended procedure or regulation of any kind. Specific standards and procedures that apply to the use of law enforcement officers may vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, depending on the type of work, its duration, and several other factors. Users should not rely on the information contained in this guide but use it solely to develop their own specific procedures as needed. Users are also encouraged to obtain specific information about state-specific standards and guidelines, local requirements, best practices and successful lessons learned.

Juan M. Morales, P.E.
J.M. Morales & Associates
1320 Pavilion Club Way
Reston, VA 20194
(703) 471-7031
Web address: www.jmmassoc.com
E-mail: jmmassoc@aol.com

Introduction

Highway work zones can be dangerous to everyone involved. Passenger and commercial vehicles travel very close to highway workers and construction crews. Motorists often miss or purposely ignore regulatory and warning signs. Work zone crashes often involve highway workers and can be deadly. In an attempt to reduce work zone crashes, many state highway agencies use uniformed police officers to deter risky or unsafe driving. The safety of workers and law enforcement personnel within the work zone is just as important as the safety of the traveling public. While they enable the efficient completion of highway work, work zones present constantly changing conditions road users do not expect. This increases the risk for workers and law enforcement personnel on or near the roadway.

Although the use of police officers is promoted as a way to increase work zone safety, no specific guidance exists that addresses the need to coordinate traffic control and enforcement activities with the officers. The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), which defines the principles and procedures used by all States when designing and implementing work zones, does not provide guidance on this issue. However, the widespread use of police officers in highway work zones underscores the need for such guidance.

This pocket guide explains work zone operations and outlines roles and responsibilities. It contains guidelines and concepts developed from the MUTCD and meetings of the work zone law enforcement training steering group. These guidelines are intended to help law enforcement and transportation agencies provide more efficient traffic control, prevent crashes and save lives.

Common pitfalls when using law enforcement officers in highway work zones include:

• Lack of communication between work zone participants (project owner, workers and officers)
• Lack of understanding of each other's roles and responsibilites
• Lack of planning and coordination
• Inadequate training of law enforcement personnel in traffic control procedures within highway work zones
• Officers' lack of knowledge and proper work zone standards, guidelines and procedures

This guide addresses these pitfalls utilizing simple, non technical language. It is designed to be used as a field reference, to be carried by officers assigned to work in highway work zones for quick consultation.

This guide does not constitute a recommended procedure or regulation of any kind. Specific standards and procedures may apply to the use of law enforcement officers in your jurisdiction. You should supplement the information in this guide with applicable regulations, standards and requirements. 

Objectives of Highway Workzones

The primary objectives of temporary traffic control in highway work zones are to:

• Provide for the safe and efficient movement of road users, including motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists, through or around the work area
• Protect workers, equipment and law enforcement personnel

Work zones present constantly changing conditions that may be unexpected by the road user. This creates an even higher degree of vulnerability for the workers and law enforcement personnel on or near the roadway.

Road user safety, worker and officer safety and the efficiency of road user flow is integral to every work zone, from planning through completion. 

Roles and Responsibilities

Safe and effective work zones result from good planning and execution. Several agencies may have roles and responsibilities in the process.

Typically, the project owner designs the work zone and hires a contractor to execute the work. The contractor may have workers and supervisors monitoring the field work and may use a traffic control services vendor to implement the traffic control plan. The contractor may also hire the services of law enforcement officers to assist with various tasks. The Department of Transportation (DOT) may also have agreements with law enforcement agencies to use officers in work zones.

The table below summarizes roles and responsibilities of typical work zone stakeholders:

¹ May contract-out these responsibilites 

Common Police Services in Work Zones

Law enforcement officers may provide various services when assigned to a highway work zone. It is important for officers to have a complete understanding of their role in a work zone.

The following table lists some law enforcement responsibilites.

The following table highlights tasks every law enforcement officer in a work zone should
Perform:

Understanding Work Zone Traffic Control

Standards and Guidelines

Minimum Federal temporary traffic control standards can be found in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), published by the US Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration. The standards, guidelines and options included in this Federal publication are applicable in all streets and roadways open to public travel. States and other local jurisdiction may deviate from the MUTCD as long as their standards and guidelines exceed those found in the Manual.

Although the MUTCD does not contain explicit guidelines for the use of law enforcement officers in work zones, the same principles that govern the design and usage of traffic control devices apply.

Not all work zones are the same. They vary depending on many factors, such as specific state requirements, duration and/or location of the work and other variables. Work zones do share some basic concepts and terms. For example, all work zones have an “advance warning area,” where motorists are warned, through the use of warning signs, about the conditions ahead.

Component Parts of a Typical Work Zone

Although work zones vary in design, the following figure illustrates components of a typical work zone:

1. The Advanced Warning Area

The advance warning area is the section of highway where road users are informed about the upcoming work zone area. This area usually contains “advance warning signs” in advance of the work zone activity area:

• First sign alerts motorists (i.e., ROAD WORK AHEAD)
• Second sign indicates the condition ahead (i.e., RIGHT LANE CLOSED AHEAD)
• Third sign indicated the required action (i.e., symbolic MERGE LEFT)

The following table lists some advance warning sign guidelines:

³ Individual states define “low speed” and “high speed,” but the dividing line is generally 35–40 mph. Use your jurisdiction’s rules and/or guidelines. If in doubt, assume it is “high speed”.

2. The Transition Area

The transition area is where road users are redirected out of their normal path. This area usually involves the use of tapers (gradual transitions). Tapers are critical to the effective operation of lane closures and other transitions. They are created using channelizing devices (cones, barricades or drums) and/or pavement markings to move traffic out of or into the normal path. Improper tapers may create unnecessary congestion and unsafe conditions.

• Lane closures require merging tapers in which traffic is required to merge from one lane to another.
• Transition areas are formed by traffic control devices such as cones, drums and barricades
• Long tapers help traffic maintain speed, eliminating congested conditions quickly.
• Short tapers encourage drivers to slow down. As a general rule, long tapers are better than short tapers.

IMPORTANT EXCEPTION: “FLAGGING TAPER”

When closing one lane of a two-lane road, the transition area requires short tapers (50'–100' maximum) and flaggers, who may need to stop traffic in one direction to prevent head-on collisions.

Traffic control devices are used to warn road users of the conditions created by the work activities and to provide the necessary guidance and control. The following table provides general guidelines for various devices that may be used in the work zone (may vary by jurisdiction): 

Arrow Panels

Arrow panels (or arrow boards) can supplement static signs on lane or shoulder closures:

• Some states require them for high-speed lane closures and high traffic density. 
• When used for a lane closure on a multilane highway, place at the beginning of the taper, on the shoulder.
• Keep out of the travel lane, if possible.
• If closing more than one lane, use an arrow panel for each closed lane.
• If shoulder is not available or too narrow, place inside the taper as close as possible to the beginning of the taper.
• When off, store at least 30 feet from the travel lane.
• Do not use arrow panels (displaying arrows) on two-lane roads or on lane shifts.
• At night, they shall be dimmed
• Use arrows (or chevrons, if permitted) ONLY when a lane is closed

The appropriate taper length (L), maximum channelizing device spacing and buffer length (BL) should be determined using the following table:

Notes:

1. A merging taper generally reduces the number of lanes, while a shifting taper moves traffic over, maintaining the same number of lanes. Shifting tapers are used when a lateral shift is needed.
2. Spacing (separation) between devices, in feet, must be less than the posted speed, in mph. 

HOW TO APPROXIMATE DISTANCES IN THE FIELD

1. Pacing Method: In advance, determine the length of your stride and how may paces it would take you to cover the suggested taper and device spacing. Enter this information in the table below.
2. Skip-Line Method: Upon arrival, determine the pattern of the skip lines. Most skip lines are on a “10-30” pattern: the painted lines are 10 feet long and the gap between them is 30 feet long. For this example, there are 40 feet from the beginning of one line to the beginning of the next line, so counting 10 skips would equal 400 feet.

 3. The Activity Area

 The table below describes the different areas within the “activity area”:

 4. Termination Area

The termination area is used to return road users to their normal path.

• It extends past the work area to return traffic to normal.
• May include (optional) a termination taper (100' minimum, per lane) and an END ROAD WORK sign (rectangular in shape and orange). 

Recommended Practices

The following recommendations may assist officers who are assigned to “presence” duty in a highway work zone.

• These are not standards or regulations
• Specific standards and procedures may vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction
• Do not rely only on this information, but use it to develop your own specific procedures
• Obtain information about state-specific regulations, local requirements, best practices and successful lessons learned.

Where should you be?

Recommended practices for the use of law enforcement officers on highway lane closures (when serving the function of “presence”):

Field Checklist

• I have a complete understanding of the work zone in which I have been assigned to work (type of work, duration, advance warning signs, tapers, buffers, etc.).
• I know and understand my role at this work zone.
• I have identified and contacted the point of contact in the field.
• I have driven through the work zone, from both directions and all entry points, to familiarize myself with the work zone.
• If applicable, I have expressed concerns about my safety and I am satisfied with the resolution.
• I arrived at least 15 minutes before traffic control devices were installed.
• I have identified the safest, most effective location to position my patrol vehicle.
• I have my patrol vehicle’s headlights off.
• I have my emergency lights on.
• My patrol vehicle is as visible as it can be.
• My vehicle is facing traffic, if applicable.
• My patrol vehicle IS NOT parked in the buffer space or in an open lane of traffic.
• I am alert and paying complete attention to traffic.
• If traffic backs-up, I have identified a relocation procedure.
• My patrol vehicle is positioned at least ¼ mile before the beginning of the queue of traffic.
• I have a retroreflective vest (ANSI 107-2004 Class 2 or higher) in case I need to be outside my patrol vehicle.
• I will leave the work zone at least 15 minutes after the traffic control devices are removed. 

Typical Applications 

The following example illustrations show typical applications of various highway work zones, as included in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), 2003 Edition (http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/). These examples cover a variety of situations commonly encountered in work zones.

In general, these illustrations show minimum solutions. The information can be adapted to a broad range of conditions.

These illustrations do not address the use of law enforcement officers in work zones. Additionally, officers should use judgment based on the traffic control setup, site characteristics, and location of adjacent driveways or parking lots.

They are intended as a guide to help you identify possible inappropriate and unsafe traffic control setups and conditions.

You must study the roles of law enforcement officers in work zones carefully on a case-by-case basis. State and local standards, guidelines and regulations may vary.

Table 6H-2. Meaning of Symbols on Typical Application Diagram

Figure 6H-4. Short Duration or Mobile Operation on Shoulder (TA-4)

Figure 6H-5. Shoulder Closure on Freeway (TA-5) 

 Figure 6H-10. Lane Closure on Two-Lane Road Using Flaggers (TA-10)

Figure 6H-17. Mobile Operations on Two-Lane Road (TA-17)

Figure 6H-21. Lane Closure on Near Side of Intersection (TA-21)

Figure 6H-22. Right Lane Closure on Far Side of Intersection (TA-22)

Figure 6H-23. Left Lane Closure on Far Side of Intersection (TA-23)

Figure 6H-26. Closure in Center of Intersection (TA-26)

Figure 6H-27. Closure at Side of Intersection (TA-27)

 Figure 6H-30. Interior Lance Closure on Multi-lane Street (TA-30)

Figure 6H-32. Half Road Closure on Multi-lane, High-Speed Highway (TA-32)

Figure 6H-33. Stationary Lane Closure on Divided Highway (TA-33)

Figure 6H-34. Lane Closure with Temporary Traffic Barrier (TA-34)

Figure 6H-35. Mobile Operation on Multi-lane Road (TA-35)

Figure 6H-36. Lane Shift on Freeway (TA-36)

Figure 6H-37. Double Lane Closure on Freeway (TA-37)

Figure 6H-38. Interior Lane Closure on Freeway (TA-38)

Figure 6H-39. Median Crossover on Freeway (TA-39)

Figure 6H-42. Work in Vicinity of Exit Ramp (TA-42)

Figure 6H-43. Partial Exit Ramp Closure (TA-43)

Figure 6H-44. Work in Vicinity of Entrance Ramp (TA-44)

References

1. Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, 2003 Edition, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC, http:mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov.
2. Morales, Juan M., Emergency Traffic Control for Emergency Responders Training Course, American Traffic Safety Services Association, Fredericksburg, VA, 2003.
3. Brainstorming Sessions on the subject, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC, 2004.
4. Morales, Juan M., Pilot presentation of Safe and Effective Use of Law Enforcement Personnel in Highway Work Zones training course, Nashville, TN, 2004.
5. Morales, Juan M., Guide for Law Enforcement Personnel in Work Zones, edited and later published, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC, 2005.

Last modified: 2/26/2009