Highway Work Zone Safety Audit Guidelines Development and Training Prepared By: Jonathan Shi, PI Dept. of Civil & Architectural Engineering Illinois Institute of Technology 3201 S. Dearborn St, Chicago, IL Phone: (312) Fax: (312)

Other Key Staff IIT Staff –Dr. Z Li: (312) , –Dr. Mark Snyder: (312) , IDOT Staff –Kevin Burke: (217) , –Priscilla Tobias: (217) 785-****, Utah LTAP Staff –Stuart Thompson: (435) , –Doyt Bolling: (435) ,

Grant Description Amount of funding –Funding from FHWA: $750,000 –Obligated amount for years 1 & 2: $396,213 –Cost share: $282,599 Project duration (4 years) –Base years (2): Oct Sept –Option years (2): Oct Sept. 2010

Progress, Oct-Dec Task 1 - Review of literature –to identify relevant rules, manuals, guidelines, and best practices in US and abroad in the areas of RSAs, WZ safety, and training programs. Task 2 - Case study –to review and study existing WZ safety guidelines, practices, and safety programs that have been implemented on the Dan Ryan Expressway (I- 90/94) Reconstruction Project.

Task 1: Review of Literature RSA guidelines and best practices –examine the contents and compare consistency of different RSA guidelines. WZ safety rules, manuals, and guidelines –prepared by different agencies such as FHWA, state DOTs, OSHA, and foreign governmental agencies. WZ and worker training programs –over one thousand records of training information including videos, courses, workshops, conferences, materials, and certification programs.

Task 2 - Case Study Dan Ryan Expressway –built in 1963 at 150,000 vpd vs. 320,000 in –MUTCD provided the basic guidelines. Implementation of the WZ safety guidelines –IDOT, –Consultants, and –Contractors.

Best Practices Adopted by IDOT Two operational lanes in each direction by using shoulders; Use ADT to predict queues and guide traffic control plans; Dynamic Lane Merge System to decrease the time for vehicles to merge at a taper; Type II barricades for safety driving conditions in WZ; Change construction procedures to reduce frequency of lane closures; Improved dynamic message signs for drivers; Speed photo enforcement; and Public safety programs.

Major Difficulties Encountered Actual data is needed, including crash data, workers’ injury data, insurance and payout during construction; It takes a long process to get such data; and some information is even not obtainable; A letter from FHWA urging public and private supports may help. The quality of some data, e.g., crash data, needs to be improved.

Work to Be Accomplished Completion of the two tasks in this quarter; Survey on implementation and compliance of WZ safety audit guidelines/practices; Study on strategies for developing new WZ safety audit guidelines; Identify other case study projects; Plan for a workshop on work zone safety issues.