ASTRA2006/007: Planning of optimum highway work zones

Project description

The three main objectives in planning of highway work zones are generally:

- a shorter duration of work zones,

- reduction of economic costs and

- on long-term consideration lower the work zone frequency for the same section.

Due to increasing age and use of the highways, the work zones activity will dramatically rise in the next years especially on heavily used sections. Systematic planning methods and tools can efficiently support the maintenance management with its increasing demands. For that reason the research project determines methods of coordinated planning and exemplarily shows the opportunity and limits for the practical use. Life-cycle costs of the interventions, driver expense due to time loss and incremented accident numbers as well as the benefit gained have to be included in the consideration.

Thus the planning and its optimization becomes more and more complex, which can regarded as a modified problem of the shortest distance. Solutions are shown by algorithms like "branch-and-bound", "branch-and-cut" as well as heuristic methods. The findings are the base for a coordinate planning of highway work zones with complex traffic conditions. They qualify for cantonal and metropolitan application for planning authorities and consultants.

Awarding authority

Bundesamt für Strassen (ASTRA)

Contact

Prof. H.P. Lindenmann

F. Schiffmann

In cooperation with:

Institut für Bauplanung und Baubetrieb (IBB)

Infrastructure Management Consultants GmbH (IMC)