Fast-Track Urban Freeway Rehabilitation with 55-H Weekend Closures: I-710 Long Beach Case Study

Abstract

As an asphalt concrete demonstration project implemented under the California Department of Transportation’s Long-Life Pavement Rehabilitation Strategies program, a 4.4 km stretch of Interstate-710 (I-710) in Long Beach was successfully rehabilitated during eight repeated 55-h extended weekend closures using around-the-clock construction operations and counterflow traffic. This case study documented the accelerated rehabilitation process, assessed traffic impacts, and compared collected productivity data. Compared to the productivity rates of traditional nighttime closures, the 55-h weekend closures effectively reduced the construction duration and the overall traffic inconvenience. Noticeable improvement (“learning-curve effect”) in the contractor’s production rates was observed as the weekend closures were repeated. As a result of a significant (38%) traffic demand reduction through the work zone, the traffic impact of construction closures was tolerable to the extent that traffic was in free-flow condition throughout the highway network. This case study will be useful for transportation agencies and contractors in developing integrated construction and traffic management plans for urban freeway rehabilitation projects to maximize pavement life expectancy and construction productivity while minimizing agency and road user costs.