This week, the Biden-Harris Administration announced updates to the Work Zone Safety and Mobility Rule and the Temporary Traffic Control Devices Rule to improve safety in and around work zones.
These regulations are designed to improve work zone safety for roadway workers as well as the movement of motorists traveling through work zones using management strategies to ensure safety while also minimizing impacts and traffic disruptions to the traveling public.
Key updates include:
- Requiring the use of positive protection devices, such as temporary concrete barriers, to protect workers from motorized traffic operating at high speeds during construction, utility, and maintenance operations.
- Encouraging the use of work zone programmatic reviews, which are more comprehensive, holistic, and data-driven.
To maintain the nation’s roadway network and manage increased road construction funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), work zones are necessary to repair, rehabilitate and upgrade the aging infrastructure, according to a press release from USDOT. The updated rules will add safety and mobility performance measures for use by states when developing their work zone policies.
“With USDOT’s commitment to Vision Zero – a future where no one dies on our roads – it's critical that we keep people safe in work zones, including travelers and those constructing our roads,” said Acting Federal Highway Administrator Kristin White, in a statement. “This work zone safety rule took years in the making to engage communities, partners and public and private sectors to ensure we prioritize work zone safety and reduce congestion to keep us all safe every day.”
The updated rule supports the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Roadway Safety Strategy to address the safety crisis on our nation’s roadways, including crashes in work zones.
Though highway workers are often among the victims of work zone crashes, reckless driving more often affects those behind the wheel and their passengers. Four out of five work zone fatalities involved drivers or passengers, according to FHWA data.
By updating these regulations, FHWA is meeting current and future work zone management needs while making the regulations compliant with the BIL.
As part of the process of updating the regulations, FHWA published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on September 20, 2023, and incorporated feedback from all public commenters, including state departments of transportation, trade associations, planning, engineering, traffic safety, design, construction, contractors and private industry.
In the coming months, FHWA says it will develop various support materials and conduct outreach activities to help stakeholders implement the latest updates.
Source: Federal Highway Administration, autoconnectedcar.com
