Work Zone Safety Guidelines For Maintenance, Construction and Traffic Personnel

Work Zone Safety Guidelines »Chief Engineer Memo »Issued on July 10, 2012 »Purpose of Memo:  A living document of work zone safety guidelines for maintenance and engineers  Document will be updated to ensure work zone safety quality improvement.

Work Zone Safety Guidelines »Chief Engineer Memo »Purpose of the Document:  To make work zones safer for construction personnel and the traveling public.  To help eliminate “grey” areas of what is needed for traffic control.  Update this “living document”, as needed, to incorporate new technologies, practices, and devices to ensure continued quality improvements in work zone safety.

Chief Engineer Memo »Include copy of document »Or each provision of

Work Zone Safety Guidelines »Key points of the document: »All Methods of Handling Traffic (MHT’s) shall follow current CDOT M & S Standards, MUTCD and the Colorado Supplement to the MUTCD, and CDOT Standard Plans and Specifications. »MHT’s adhere to the appropriate Region lane closure strategy, unless variance is granted through Lane Closure Strategy process.

Work Zone Safety Guidelines »Key points of the document (cont.): »Traffic control notebook or file shall be created for each project and include approved Form 568 (Speed Reductions), MHT’s, Traffic Control Supervisor (TCS) in charge, flaggers, daily traffic control diaries of any changes or modifications to the MHT’s during work.

Work Zone Safety Guidelines »Key points of the document (cont.): »Notebooks and files stored securely for 7 years. »Work Zone operations impacting live lanes of traffic shall use attenuator vehicles when available. »Interstate and multi-lane freeways shall not lower speeds below 55 MPH without Region Traffic Engineer approval »All other highways shall not be lowered below 40 MPH without Region Traffic Engineer approval

Work Zone Safety Guidelines »Key points of the document (cont.): »Any other speed reductions can be approved by the LTC Op’s I (for Maintenance projects) or higher. »Flagging operations shall not stop traffic on Interstates, EXCEPT in an emergency situations. Region Traffic Engineer can consider otherwise on case by case basis »Deviations from M&S Standards and MUTCD typical examples shall be reviewed and approved by LTC OPS I (for Maintenance projects) or Project Engineer and Prime Contractor (for Engineering projects) before implementation.

Work Zone Safety Guidelines »Key points of the document (cont.): »Mobile work zones defined as continually moving at 3 MPH or higher. »All MHT’s shall consider additional safety measures for worker crossing live lanes of traffic out of the work zone closure. »For oversized vehicles, height, weight or width restrictions, contact the Oversize Overweight (OSOW) permit office (800) , (303) (Coleen Newman), (303) (Craig Smith) or (303) (Danny Wells).

Work Zone Safety Guidelines »Key points of the document (cont.): »Standard practice to request local law or Colorado State Patrol (CSP) presence for work zone safety »All projects shall adhere to the provisions of section of CDOT’s Standard Specification for Road and Bridge Construction for removal of signs when conditions no longer require traffic control devices.

Work Zone Safety Guidelines »Key points of the document »Full road closures require documentation from LTC OPS I or CDOT Project Engineer to Region Traffic Engineer for approval »Documentation includes, at minimum:  Reason for need to close entire roadway  Location and duration of planned closure  Detour route and supporting MHT around closure  Impacts to local communities identified, and discussed with impacted communities.

»Key points of the document (cont.): »Traffic Control exceptions for narrow two lane roadways shall follow the following guidelines:  If a work zone situation does not provide sufficient room to provide full compliance traffic control, the LTC OPS I or Project Engineer shall develop alternative MHT and justification to be submitted to the Region Traffic Engineer for review and approval before implementation.  If work zone delineation cannot be provided due to narrow road width, the LTC OPS I or Project Engineer shall document other means to supplement the lack of work zone delineation in the submitted justification. Work Zone Safety Guidelines

»Setting Speed Limits »CDOT Form 568

Work Zone Safety Guidelines »Work Zone Safety Guidelines »Double Fines

Work Zone Safety Guidelines »Resources Available »2009 MUTCD, Chapter 6 »CDOT S Standard Plan »CDOT External Web Sites, found in: ( affic-manuals-guidelines/lane-close-work- zone-safety) affic-manuals-guidelines/lane-close-work- zone-safety

Work Zone Safety Guidelines »Typical Maintenance Applications: »Pavement marking application »Pavement sweeping and sampling »Pavement repairs (e.g., pothole patching and other small repairs) »Debris cleanup (e.g., both routine cleanup and removal of debris, and emergency removal of storm debris and spilled material) »Snow removal »Traffic signal repair

Work Zone Safety Guidelines »Typical Maintenance Applications (cont.): »Vegetation control and mowing in ROW »Post-mounted delineators »Roadside signs (e.g., repair and replacement) »Cleaning drainage facilities (e.g., catch basins, culverts, etc.) »Emergency repairs (e.g., miscellaneous operation necessary to restore safe highway operation that can be completed in a few minutes)

Work Zone Safety Guidelines »Seven Principles of Temporary Traffic Control (TTC) »1. Plan for traffic safety  Motorists and construction worker safety high priority, from planning through design and construction.  Needs of all road users (motorist, bicyclists and pedestrians – including disabled) should be addressed.  Plan to minimize traffic delays.

Work Zone Safety Guidelines »Seven Principles of Temporary Traffic Control (TTC) (cont.): »2. Minimize interference with traffic flow, including vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians  Don’t make abrupt changes to traffic patterns that would require rapid traffic maneuvers.  Road user movement should be inhibited as little as possible.

Work Zone Safety Guidelines »Seven Principles of Temporary Traffic Control (TTC) (cont.): »3. Provide clear and positive guidance on how to get through the temporary traffic control zone  Give adequate advance warning to drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians of the upcoming TTC zone.  Use appropriate traffic control devices (TCD)  Remove/cover any conflicting signing.  Use flaggers, when necessary.

Work Zone Safety Guidelines »Seven Principles of Temporary Traffic Control (TTC) (cont.): »4. Perform continuous inspection and maintenance of TTC devices.  Inspections should be a performed by a trained professional.  Repair or replace devices, as necessary.  Monitor and modify work zone as project progresses.

Work Zone Safety Guidelines »Seven Principles of Temporary Traffic Control (TTC) (cont.): »5. Maintain roadside safety throughout project  Provide recovery area for errant vehicles.  Store equipment and materials outside clear zone. »6. Make sure workers receive training that’s required.  All those involved with planning, design, construction and maintenance of a TTC should have appropriate safety training.

Work Zone Safety Guidelines »Seven Principles of Temporary Traffic Control (TTC) (cont.): »7. Maintain good public relations Provide advance notice and cooperate with various news media in publicizing TTC zone. Address needs of abutting property and business owners. Address needs of all emergency service providers.

Work Zone Safety Guidelines »Flagger Certification »Flagger Training available through CDOT’s Flagger Program (see link below)  r-training.html r-training.html

Work Zone Safety Guidelines »TCS Certif ication  Done through CCA or ATSSA  Requirements listed in CDOT Mandatory TCS Training Policy Memo 22 ( cy-memos/022-sept-9-04-mandatory-traffic-control- supervisor.pdf) cy-memos/022-sept-9-04-mandatory-traffic-control- supervisor.pdf

Work Zone Safety Guidelines »Documentation »Traffic queues and delays »See Region Lane Closure Strategy and WSZM Procedure documents »Required for planned full road closure from the LTC Ops I. Documentation includes, at minimum:  Reason for closing the entire roadway  Location and duration of planned closure  Detour route and supporting MHT around closure  Impacts to local communities identified and discussed

Work Zone Safety Guidelines »TMP Example – Single-Lane Closure, located on EB I-70

Work Zone Safety Guidelines

Conclusion »For further info on WZSM, see: »Work Zone Safety and Lane Closure Strategies CDOT web site  manuals-guidelines/lane-close-work-zone-safety manuals-guidelines/lane-close-work-zone-safety »Contact your Region Traffic Representatives »Contact HQ Safety and Traffic Engineering »K.C. Matthews – »Ken Nakao – »San Lee –