Abstract

Work zones associated with highway construction projects create localized bottlenecks where the average traffic speed is reduced and queues are formed, thus causing increased costs as a result of the additional time and fuel needed to traverse the work zone. These user costs can be estimated and applied as a form of incentive to the contractor to complete the work sooner, thus allowing traffic to return to the free-flow speed. Methods to determine user costs are explored through a literature search, questionnaire survey, and interviews with employees of the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT). Based on the research and interviews, a program named DUCK was developed to estimate the costs attributed to the reduction of speed through a work zone. A plan using DUCK and another program, DelayE, is recommended to UDOT, along with a description of these computer programs and how they estimate user costs.

Degree

College and Department

Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering and Technology; Civil and Environmental Engineering

Rights

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