A significant portion of highway maintenance activities and certain construction activities are performed in a travel lane or adjacent shoulder while motorists travel by at relatively high speeds and in very close proximity to the workers. Workzone traffic control efforts currently consist of a variety of measures to ensure worker and motorist safety, such as concrete barriers, variable message signs, and flaggers. However, current accepted practices for short duration work zones provide limited protection of the workers and separation from vehicles passing through the work zone. Additionally, current safety measures such as truck mounted attenuators (TMAs) and spotters typically require additional personnel exposed to the hazards simply to provide these safety measures. Even with TMAs and spotters, the immediate work area remains unprotected adjacent to the functioning travel lanes, allowing errant vehicles and distracted drivers to enter this most vulnerable work area. Lastly, in many locations, a high percentage of work activities must be performed at night, increasing the risk to the workers and motorists. A recent advancement in work zone safety for finite area work activities isthe use of a mobile barrier system (MBS). An MBS is motorized (tractor/trailer combination) and provides complete isolation of the work area for a distance of up to 100 feet. An example of an MBS is the Mobile Barriers MBT-1™ provided by Mobile Barriers (http://www.mobilebarriers.com/). A limited number of State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) and Road Agencies have acquired mobile barriers and have reported favorably on their use and benefit to safety. This equipment is relatively expensive (~$300,000 exclusive of a standard tractor). As part of the decision to invest in one or more of these safety systems, research is needed to assess and demonstrate the safety benefit, the flexibility of use, and the increased efficiency of work activities compared to traditional means of protection. Accordingly, the proposed research involves testing and evaluating an MBS in maintenance activities in a variety of work zone environments. (Author/publisher)
Abstract