The Colorado Department of Highways (CDOH) has implemented a revolutionary new traffic control management program to support the construction of I-70 through Glenwood Canyon. The project, located in the Rocky Mountains of Western Colorado, involved the construction ofthe new four-lane divided highway in the exact location of the existing narrow two-lane roadway, while accommodating as many as 15, 000 vehicles per day during peak periods. The need for special traffic control considerations was recognized during the planning and early design stages, and a comprehensive study was commissioned by CDOH and conducted by its management consultant, Daniel, Mann, Johnson, & Mendenhall (DMJM). The study proposed a traffic control management plan that included a pilot car operation; a sophisticated radio communications network; coordinated flagging operation; and an overall traffic control support contract that combines all traffic control elements under the authority of CDOH. This rather radical departure from traditional methods was approved by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and portions of it were placed into operation in April 1985. The remainder of the plan was implemented during the ensuing months and has been in effect ever since. In September 1986, the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) recognized this unique program by bestowing upon CDOH and DMJM its annual Transportation Achievement Award for Operations. This paper presents in detail a description of the program and how it differs from traditional traffic control methods; an analysis of the operational benefits that have accrued to contractors as well as motorists; the safety enhancements that have resulted in a dramatic reduction of accident rates; the management structure that makes this type of operation possible; and an analysis of the costs associated with this program. The paper also offers thought on the applicability of this type of program, or portions there of, to other projects.
Abstract