Network-Level Scheduling of Road Projects During the Construction Season Considering Network Connectivity

Abstract

INDOT implements several hundred highway projects annually. One of the unintended (and adverse) consequences of road work is the establishment of work zones or full or partial closure of certain road links and the subsequent impairment of network connectivity during the construction season. The temporary reduction in network connectivity can lead to reduced mobility and decreased accessibility to businesses. The user costs incurred during highway construction can be significant, particularly where the affected links have very high traffic volumes or offer few opportunities to detour. Delay also inflicts costs on the non-traveling public, such as when it is necessary to reroute school buses in communities. Delay-related costs also impact the traveling public and shippers of raw materials and finished products. In some cases, construction-related disruptions cause adverse impacts on adjacent businesses. The main objective of this study was to develop a methodology and software tool that INDOT's Construction and Contracts Division could use to evaluate the systemic impacts of work zones on a network. The optimal schedules developed using the methodology were checked using data from past projects and was validated by comparing the reduction in user costs compared to actual past construction schedules. The case study results showed that, compared with INDOT's current plan, the developed framework would greatly reduce the user and business disruption costs associated with network-wide construction plans by providing optimal construction schedules. The developed network-level project scheduling methodology and software tool will help INDOT to plan various construction projects in a given district while considering user and business disruption costs.

Optimal Lane Closure for Rail Line Construction to Mitigate Urban Traffic Impacts

“…To mitigate the traffic impacts in such work zones, public agencies and construction companies need to establish an effective construction plan and schedule [14]. A variety of techniques has been implemented and proposed in the literature and technical reports, including planning and scheduling an appropriate work zone [15], designing an optimum alternate route based on driver behavior [16], utilizing traffic control optimization [17], and determining an optimum segment length for the construction zone [18][19][20].…”

Contract bundling considerations in urban road project scheduling

“…For example, certain road agencies are unable to implement road projects during periods characterized by some recurring natural weather event (such as extreme winter) or man‐made event. For example, in Indiana, a Midwestern state in the Unites States, the road agency generally refrains from implementing road projects in the period December–March due to extremely cold and icy climatic conditions at that time (Woldemariam et al., 2019). Another example is the special events such as expected or unexpected natural or man‐made events such as the Olympic Games, which preclude the implementation of road projects in cities during such events (Mulvenney, 2008).…”