TAMING TRAFFIC TIE-UPS
Engineering, transportation management plans keep motorists moving through construction
By Kay Kruse-Stanton
who review TMPs associated with construction work on state highways.
“ Our first meeting to consider appropriate strategies for managing traffic flow was in 2015,” he said.“ That portion of the project started at least two years prior to construction. We usually do not have the luxury of closing down roads completely to do construction. It’ s a tradeoff of mobility vs. the restrictions of getting the work done.”
A BALANCING ACT It can be a challenging process, according to Bill Roth, an Ayres Associates senior transportation engineer working on the Madison project.“ How much congestion and delay are we willing to tolerate? And if it’ s none, how much can we accommodate the contractor to cover work delays that will be caused by always having traffic through the work zone? There’ s a lot of detail to examine, perspectives that don’ t all agree to be considered, and priorities to be balanced, and this effort needs to start very early in the project development,” Roth said.“ Later on, when the practical effects of our decisions are experienced during construction, a lot of people will be affected – some for a long time if the project is large and complex.”
Where there are roads, there will be road construction. And where there is road construction, there is a plan to help move motorists through the affected area with minimal delays while protecting workers and equipment. The plan can range from a few lines added to instructions that guide the work to a lengthy, formal document included in paperwork construction companies review when they decide whether to bid on a project.
The process begins with determining that road repair or construction is needed, and that can be years before motorists see those dreaded“ ROAD WORK AHEAD” signs. For example, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation( WisDOT) has scheduled repairs to begin on US Highways 12 / 18 and 51 in Madison in July. The corridor carries more than 54,000 vehicles every weekday. Ayres Associates is working with WisDOT’ s James Romanowski on the transportation management plan( TMP) for the project. Romanowski is one of several WisDOT traffic engineers
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