Modeling Truck Speed in the Upstream of One-lane Two-way Highway Work Zones: Implications on Reducing Truck-Related Crashes in Work Zones

Abstract

Truck-related crashes constitute a major safety concern for government agencies, the construction industry, and the traveling public. Due to the rising needs in highway maintenance and construction, the number of work zones is increasing throughout the United States, while at the same time freight movement using trucks is also increasing nationwide. Developing effective safety countermeasures to reduce the truck-related crashes is a major challenge in front of the government agencies and the construction industry. The main objectives of this research project are to discover truck-related crash characteristics and to model the truck speeds in the upstream of one-lane two-way rural highway work zones. Work zones on two-lane highway are particularly hazardous for trucks due to the disruption of regular traffic flow and restrictive geometry. The developed models can be utilized to discover possible associations between work zone design variables and truck speeds with the purpose of reducing truck-related crash risks. As a result, government agencies and the construction industry can apply the findings of this project to improve work zone design and mitigate the crash risks in work zones.