Quantifying User Delay on Freeway Work Zone Using Vissim

Abstract

A smooth and well-organized flow of vehicles through work zone space is the foremost concern for transportation agencies working on a work zone . Road networks tend to deteriorate after they have completed their service life. Maintenance of road is vital in order to ensure that the road remains in its initially constructed state, shield adjoining property and safety of users, and offer proficient, suitable drive all along the road. Regrettably, maintenance is time and again ignored or undertaken inappropriately which results in speedy decline of the road and ultimately collapse due to weather conditions and automobile utilization impacts. However, this will not only put strain on the road agencies’ budget but also impact the road users and the public in general. There have been increasing concerns over the greater than before road user costs due to extensive maintenance activities being performed to reinstate and extend the structural and functional capacity of the roads. To be able to perform the necessary activities, deployment of work zones is a pre-requisite. The work zone must be accompanied by speed limit reductions for the safety of road workers and users. Speed limit reductions after the work zone will result in delays for the road users. Chief of all, the work zones have a natural tendency of reducing the road capacity, particularly if lanes are closed which can potentially cause great nuisance. In higher traffic flows, this will result in the forming of queues upstream of the work zone. The road users will consequently experience delays in queues or detours. In addition to delays, road users may be affected by an increased fuel consumption, they may be more prone to accidents and wearing of vehicles. From an economic perspective this will firstly cause increased cost for the road users. Delays for individuals may result in lost time in both professional and personal life, while commercial vehicles may miss important deliveries with consequences in downstream logistic chains. Depending on their respective valuation of time, a delay will be associated with certain costs that primarily include the escalated fuel cost and greater wear and tear of automobiles i.e. depreciation cost. From a social point of view, the adverse effects stretch far beyond the private world and includes the entire society. Having said that, there are certain indirect external costs that are qualitative in nature. For instance