Work Zone Mobility and Safety Program

Work Zone Impacts Assessment –
An Approach to Assess and Manage Work Zone Safety and Mobility Impacts of Road Projects

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Contact Information: WorkZoneFeedback@dot.gov


Final Report

August 2006

U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
Office of Operations

FHWA-HOP-05-068

Table of Contents

Notice

List of Acronyms

Executive Summary

1.0 Introduction

1.1 What Is Work Zone Impacts Assessment?

1.2 Why Assess Work Zone Impacts?

1.3 Purpose of This Document

1.4 Target Audience

1.5 How to Use This Guide

1.6 Work Zone Impacts Assessment and the Work Zone Rule

1.7 Overview of Guidance Material for the Rule

2.0 Overview of the Work Zone Impacts Assessment Process

2.1 Overall Structure

2.2 Incorporating Work Zone Impacts Assessment in Program Delivery

2.3 Work Zone Impacts Considerations

3.0 Addressing Work Zone Impacts at the Policy-Level

3.1 What Happens at the Policy-Level?

3.2 Why Consider Work Zone Impacts Issues at the Policy-Level?

3.3 Developing and Implementing a Work Zone Policy

3.3.1 Key Components of a Work Zone Policy
3.3.2 Who Develops and Implements the Policy?
3.3.3 Policy Development and Implementation Process

3.4 Potential Policy Provisions for Application During Program Delivery

3.4.1 Classification of Projects Based on Expected Work Zone Impacts
3.4.2 Work Zone Performance Standards/Requirements
3.4.3 Policy Guidance and Agency Processes and Procedures

4.0 Work Zone Impacts Assessment During Systems Planning

4.1 What Is Systems Planning?

4.1.1 Key Activities Performed During Systems Planning

4.2 Why Assess Work Zone Impacts During Systems Planning?

4.2.1 Importance of Work Zone Impacts Assessment in Systems Planning

4.3 When in Systems Planning Can Work Zone Impacts Be Assessed?

4.4 Who Are the Participants?

4.5 Assessment Process

5.0 Work Zone Impacts Assessment During Preliminary Engineering

5.1 What Happens During Preliminary Engineering?

5.2 Objectives of Work Zone Impacts Assessment During Preliminary Engineering

5.3 Who Are the Participants?

5.4 Assessment Process

6.0 Work Zone Impacts Assessment During Design

6.1 What Happens During Design?

6.2 Objectives of Work Zone Impacts Assessment During Design

6.3 Who Are the Participants?

6.4 Assessing Work Zone Impacts During Design

7.0 Work Zone Impacts Assessment During Construction

7.1 What Happens During Construction?

7.2 Objectives of Work Zone Impacts Assessment During Construction

7.3 Who Are the Participants?

7.4 Managing Work Zone Impacts During Construction

8.0 Performance Assessment

8.1 What Is Performance Assessment?

8.2 Objectives of Work Zone Performance Assessment

8.3 Who Are the Participants?

8.4 Conducting Work Zone Performance Assessment

9.0 Work Zone Impacts Assessment in Maintenance and Operations

9.1 Overview of Maintenance and Operations (M&O)

9.2 Objectives of Assessing Work Zone Impacts in M&O

9.3 Who Performs the Assessment?

9.4 Assessment Framework

9.4.1 Improving Agency Procedures so that the Direct Safety and Mobility Impacts of M&O Activities Are Minimized and Better Managed
9.4.2 Planning and Coordinating M&O to Minimize Overall System-Wide Impacts
9.4.3 Implementing and Managing M&O Activities with Minimal Impacts on Other Construction Projects and Vice-Versa
9.4.4 Incorporating Features in Construction Projects to Facilitate Future M&O with Minimum Disruption

Appendix A – Example Work Zone Impacts Assessment: Virginia Department of Transportation I-495/U.S. Route 1 Interchange Reconstruction Project

Appendix B – Impacts Analysis Tools

Appendix C – Resources Referenced in this Document

Technical Report Documentation Page

List of Tables

Table 2.1 Policy-Level

Table 2.2 Systems Planning

Table 2.3 Project Development (Preliminary Engineering and Design)

Table 2.4 Construction/Implementation

Table 2.5 Performance Assessment

Table 2.6 Maintenance and Operations

Table 2.7 Work Zone Impacts Considerations

Table 3.1 Policy Development and Implementation Participants

Table 3.2 FHWA Work Zone Self Assessment – Project Classification Scheme

Table 4.1 Systems Planning Assessment Participants

Table 4.2 Process Notes

Table 5.1 Preliminary Engineering Assessment Participants

Table 5.2 Process Notes

Table 6.1 Design-Level Work Zone Impacts Assessment Participants

Table 6.2 Process Notes

Table 7.1 Construction Work Zone Impacts Assessment Participants

Table 7.2 Process Notes

Table 7.3 Sample Performance Aspects to Monitor and Measure

Table 8.1 Performance Assessment Participants

Table 8.2 Process Notes

Table 8.3 Project Information Categories and Examples for Performance Assessment

Table 8.4 Example Work Zone Performance Assessment Measures

List of Figures

Figure 2.1 Typical Program Delivery Process

Figure 2.2 Overall Work Zone Impacts Assessment Flow Diagram

Figure 3.1 Policy Development and Implementation Process

Figure 4.1 Incorporating Work Zone Impacts Assessment in Systems Planning

Figure 4.2 Systems Planning – Work Zone Impacts Assessment Process

Figure 5.1 Preliminary Engineering – Work Zone Impacts Assessment Process

Figure 6.1 Design – Work Zone Impacts Assessment Process

Figure 7.1 Construction Work Zone Impacts Assessment Process

Figure 8.1 Work Zone Performance Assessment Process

Figure A.1 High-Level WWB Project Location Map

Figure A.2 Detailed Project Location Map

Figure A.3 Sample News/Media Release from WWB Project Web Site

Figure A.4 Anticipated I-495/U.S. 1 Traffic Impacts 2005–06

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