Work Zone Mobility and Safety Program
Photo collage: temporary lane closure, road marking installation, cone with mounted warning light, and drum separated work zones.
Office of Operations 21st Century Operations Using 21st Century Technologies

Work Zone Speed Management

There are a variety of methods and technologies that can be used to help manage and enforce speed limits in work zones, including the use of law enforcement officers, automated enforcement, speed advisory systems, and variable speed limit (VSL) systems.

Automated Enforcement

Law Enforcement

  • Traffic Enforcement Strategies for Work Zones - NCHRP report 746 and research document (PDF 1.8MB) presenting guidance and background research on the safe and effective deployment of traffic enforcement strategies in work zones on high-speed highways. The guide covers planning, design, and operation for the strategies, and administrative issues.
  • Safe and Effective Use of Law Enforcement Personnel in Work Zones - FHWA-developed course that provides law enforcement agencies and personnel with practices and procedures to improve safety in work zones. The course covers the role of law enforcement officers in work zones; proper practices and procedures; the parts of a typical work zone; and standards and guidelines related to temporary traffic control in work zones.
  • Study on The Use of Uniformed Police Officers on Federal-Aid Highway Construction Projects - Documents the opinions and understandings of study participants regarding the extent and effectiveness of uniformed police officers on Federal-aid highway construction projects.

Speed Advisory Systems

  • Safe Speeds in Work Zones (HTML, PDF 481KB) - Describes work zone speed display technologies that can be used to help manage safe speeds and provides example applications.
  • Radar Speed Display (PDF 591KB) - Evaluates the effectiveness of radar actuated speed displays in several contexts.
  • D-25 Speed Advisory System - Evaluates the D-25 Speed Advisory Sign System, which is intended to warn drivers of stopped or slow-moving traffic ahead to enable them to reduce their speeds and avoid rear-end crashes.

Variable Speed Limit Systems

Other Work Zone Speed Management Resources

  • Colorado DOT Work Zone Speed Control Report (PDF 462KB) - Explores several methods to reduce the speed of traffic through work zones, including variable message signs, presence of law enforcement, and signing methods.
  • Revisiting the Use of Drone Radar to Reduce Speed in Work Zones, South Carolina's Experience - Abstract to a paper included TRB's Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 2015. Copies of the paper are available for purchase from TRB.
  • Safe and Effective Speed Reductions for Freeway Work Zones Phase 2 - Results of a research study conducted by the Oregon Department of Transportation to investigate the impact of selected traffic control devices on vehicle speeds within highway paving project work zones. The research findings suggest using a combination of reduced speed limit signs, radar speed monitoring displays, and portable changeable message signs on either trailers or rollers.
  • Speed Management Information Resources - Searchable collection of resources on speed management topics/applications, including in work zones.