Highway Work Zone Safety Audit Guidelines Development and Training: Presentation
SLIDE 1
Highway Work Zone Safety Audit Guidelines Development and Training
Prepared By:
Jonathan Shi, PI
Dept. of Civil & Architectural Engineering
Illinois Institute of Technology
3201 S. Dearborn St, Chicago, IL 60616
Phone: (312) 567-3630
Fax: (312) 567-3519
Email: shi@iit.edu
SLIDE 2
Other Key Staff
- IIT Staff
- Dr. Z Li: (312) 567-3556, lizz@iit.edu
- Dr. Mark Snyder: (312) 567-3540, mark.snyder@iit.edu
- IDOT Staff
- Kevin Burke: (217) 785-5048, Kevin.BurkeIII@illinois.gov
- Priscilla Tobias: (217) 785-****, Priscilla.Tobias@illinois.gov
- Utah LTAP Staff
- Stuart Thompson: (435) 797-4432, stuart@cc.usu.edu
- Doyt Bolling: (435) 797-2933, doyt@cc.usu.edu
SLIDE 3
Grant Description
- Amount of funding
- Funding from FHWA: $750,000
- Obligated amount for years 1 & 2: $396,213
- Cost share: $282,599
- Project duration (4 years)
- Base years (2): Oct. 2006-Sept. 2008
- Option years (2): Oct. 2008-Sept. 2010
SLIDE 4
Progress, Oct-Dec. 2006
- Task 1 - Review of literature
- to identify relevant rules, manuals, guidelines, and best practices in US and abroad in the areas of RSAs, WZ safety, and training programs.
- Task 2 - Case study
- to review and study existing WZ safety guidelines, practices, and safety programs that have been implemented on the Dan Ryan Expressway (I-90/94) Reconstruction Project.
SLIDE 5
Task 1: Review of Literature
- RSA guidelines and best practices
- examine the contents and compare consistency of different RSA guidelines.
- WZ safety rules, manuals, and guidelines
- prepared by different agencies such as FHWA, state DOTs, OSHA, and foreign governmental agencies.
- WZ and worker training programs
- over one thousand records of training information including videos, courses, workshops, conferences, materials, and certification programs.
SLIDE 6
Task 2 - Case Study
- Dan Ryan Expressway
- built in 1963 at 150,000 vpd vs. 320,000 in 2005.
- MUTCD provided the basic guidelines.
- Implementation of the WZ safety guidelines
- IDOT,
- Consultants, and
- Contractors.
SLIDE 7
Best Practices Adopted by IDOT
- Two operational lanes in each direction by using shoulders;
- Use ADT to predict queues and guide traffic control plans;
- Dynamic Lane Merge System to decrease the time for vehicles to merge at a taper;
- Type II barricades for safety driving conditions in WZ;
- Change construction procedures to reduce frequency of lane closures;
- Improved dynamic message signs for drivers;
- Speed photo enforcement; and
- Public safety programs.
SLIDE 8
Major Difficulties Encountered
- Actual data is needed, including crash data, workers’ injury data, insurance and payout during construction;
- It takes a long process to get such data; and some information is even not obtainable;
- A letter from FHWA urging public and private supports may help.
- The quality of some data, e.g., crash data, needs to be improved.
SLIDE 9
Work to Be Accomplished
- Completion of the two tasks in this quarter;
- Survey on implementation and compliance of WZ safety audit guidelines/practices;
- Study on strategies for developing new WZ safety audit guidelines;
- Identify other case study projects;
- Plan for a workshop on work zone safety issues.
