One of the greatest operational challenges for road authorities and contractors is keeping an existing, busy highway corridor open to traffic during maintenance, rehabilitation, reconstruction, or expansion activities. Most recently, the application of human factors knowledge and positive guidance technique to work zone safety and efficiency issues has highlighted the substantial benefits of providing adequate advance warning and directional guidance to drivers approaching work zones. Experience has shown that commuter routes benefit substantially from advance notification. On Ontario's provincial highway network, an enhanced, adaptive system of temporary conditions signing, encompassing advance notification, advance warning and alternative route information, has traditionally been employed in conjunction with large, long-duration or otherwise intrusive projects. Under this scheme, the provision of temporary conditions traffic management (TCTM) information has grown from simple "Construction Ahead" signing to a complex system of static and dynamic messaging on the affected roadway, and on intersecting roads and parallel routes, complimented by media advisories, toll-free and Internet road information services, and up-to-the-minute traffic reports by media outlets. In the late 1990's a TCTM Manual was commissioned. Initial experiences amongst the consultants, contractors and ministry staff with the Manual have resulted in a number of "Lessons Learned", which are outlined in this paper.
Samenvatting