Work Zone Mobility and Safety Program

Description of Slide 10 Figure

This flow chart shows Maryland State Highway Administration guidance on identifying significant projects. It is a flow chart for determination of significant project for OPPE, OHD, and OBD projects with the following steps.

A question asks "Is the project an OPPE, OHD, or OBD project?" If the answer is "no," refer to the district/minor projects flow chart. If the answer is "yes," the following questions are asked: "Is the project located on or over the National Highway System, an urban freeway/expressway, or an urban or rural OPA?"1 If the answer is "no," it is not a significant project but may still require transportation operations and/or public information strategies.4,5 If the answer is "yes," the following questions are asked. "Will the project have any of the following characteristics?"

  • Mobility: increase in delay or travel time (i.e., traffic volumes that will exceed roadway capacity in the work zone)
  • Safety:
    • Roadway section or intersection on the Candidate Safety Improvement Locations (CSIL2 list
    • Special worker safety considerations (for example, worker exposure greater than 100 hours on high speed roadways; refer to Temporary Traffic Barrier Policy)
  • Other Characteristics:
    • High level of public interest
    • Road work strategies:
      • Full roadway closure
      • Two-way, one-lane operations
      • Reversible lane operations
      • Night work
      • Multiple stages/phases of construction
    • Significant impact on public/private access (e.g., businesses, communities, park and ride lots, schools, fire stations, etc.)
    • Project timing (e.g., special events, beach traffic, etc.) that will result in an increase in traffic volumes
    • Requirements in the Guidelines/Checklist for Bicycle and Pedestrian Access through Work Zones3 cannot be satisfied
    • Significant restrictions on emergency vehicle access

If the answer to these questions is "no," it is not a significant project but may still require transportation operations and/or public information strategies.4,5 If the answer is "yes," perform Maintenance of Traffic Alternatives Analysis (MOTAA)6.

The next question is "Does the selected alternative still have significant work zone safety and mobility impacts (refer to "characteristics" box above)?" If the answer is "no," it is not a significant project but may still require transportation operations and/or public information strategies. If the answer is "yes," it is a significant project. Prepare a Transportation Management Plan.

  1. Roadway classification can be found in the Highway Location Reference on the Maryland State Highway Administration website http://www.roads.maryland.gov/Home.aspx [Return to text]
  2. The Candidate Safety Improvement List (CSIL) can be obtained from the Traffic Development and Support Division (TDSD). [Return to text]
  3. A memorandum regarding Bicycle and Pedestrian Access through work zones can be obtained from the Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator in the Office of Preliminary Engineering (OPPE). [Return to text]
  4. Some projects may not fall under the Significant Project definition, but may still benefit from transportation operations and/or public information strategies. For example, projects that impact a moderate number of travelers with moderate public interest, such as single lane closures in urban areas or commercial business districts. The preparation of a TMP should be considered for these types of projects. [Return to text]
  5. Projects on the interstate system within the boundaries of a designated Transportation Management Area (TMA) that occupy a location for more than three days with either intermittent or continuous lane closures will require the submittal of a significant project exception request to the FHWA Area Engineer. [Return to text]
  6. The MOTAA should be conducted during analysis of detailed alternatives before a final alternative is selected to proceed to design. Each alternative's ability to conform with the thresholds in the Work Zone Lane Closure Analysis Guidelines should be reviewed at this stage. Guidance on performing a MOTAA can be obtained from the Traffic Development and Support Division TDSD). [Return to text]

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