Modeling and Operational Performance Evaluation of Driveway Assistance Devices for Lane Closures on Two-Lane Highway Work Zones

Abstract

Lane closures on two-lane highways due to work zone activities negatively impact traffic operational performance. In addition, traffic from access points (e.g., commercial and residential driveways or minor side roads) within such work zones make operations more complicated and inefficient. Deploying a driveway assistance device (DAD) system can enable more efficient traffic control for work zones with access points. While traffic agencies are becoming interested in DAD deployments, research on such systems is sparse. Based on the published literature, this paper is the first in-depth operational investigation of a DAD system under different signal strategies, traffic conditions, and work zone characteristics. This study models DAD-operated work zones for a single-lane closure on two-lane highways using microsimulation software calibrated to field-observed Nebraska work zone data. First, this study models and evaluates different signal control strategies using 192 scenarios and identifies the most efficient strategy for DAD operations using statistical comparisons. Second, sensitivity analysis is conducted on various factors, including traffic volumes, truck percentages, work zone lengths, and numbers of DAD-controlled access points. A total of 3,456 traffic scenarios were established to assess the effect of the DAD system in terms of delays and queues. This paper highlights the important findings and discusses the practical implications of DAD system that may help traffic agencies. While the work zone data used from Nebraska represent characteristics typical of the US Midwest, the research methods and tools used here are transferable to study DAD-operated work zones for other locations across the United States, without a loss of generality. Furthermore, the findings and recommendations from this study may be relevant to other countries with work zones designed similarly to those in the United States.