SHRP Projects H-108 and H-109 developed, tested, evaluated a variety of innovative devices designed to protect workers and drivers in short-term highway work zones. Results of closed-track and open-highway field testing were presented at the 1991 and 1993 SHRP Safety on Two Continents conferences. Devices which were shown to be promising in the SHRP programs have now been implemented in a number of operational highway agencies in the United States. A description and preliminary implementation status of a number of these traffic control devices is now reported. Preliminary testing by United States highway agencies involved the following steps: (1) cooperative agreement between SHRP and the state agency; (2) obtaining Federal Highway Administration permission to apply an experimental device on an operational highway; (3) training state forces to operate the device; (4) conducting open highway studies; (5) briefing state maintenance forces; (6) reducing and analyzing data; and (7) developing implementation recommendations. At the time of this writing, a number of the innovative traffic control devices discussed in this paper were being evaluated by state highway agencies. During preparation of this paper, the author contacted designated state highway agencies and coordinating federal agencies seeking evaluation results; however, most evaluations were underway with formal results still a year away. Therefore, findings contained in this paper are limited to device descriptions, manufacturer sources, and preliminary evaluation results. (A)
Abstract