A final update to the Work Zone Safety and Mobility Rule and the Temporary Traffic Control Devices Rule will improve safety in and around work zones, officials with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) said.
The updated rules are designed to improve work zone safety for roadway workers, officials said, as well as improve the movement of motorists traveling through work zones, while minimizing impacts and traffic disruptions. Officials said the updated rules will add safety and mobility performance measures for state to use when they are developing their own 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,” Acting Federal Highway Administrator Kristin White said. “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 final rule is the first update to the rules in two decades and makes important changes to support the FHWA’s mission of ensuring the country has the safest and most modern transportation system in the world. The final rule also supports the U.S. DOT’s National Roadway Safety Strategy to address safety issues, including crashes in work zones.
Updates to the rules include requiring the use of positive protection devices, like temporary concrete barriers, to protect workers from motorized traffic, and encouraging the use of work zone programmatic reviews, which are more comprehensive, holistic and data-driven.