GUIDELINES FOR THE APPLICATION OF ARROW BOARDS IN WORK ZONES

The purpose of the study was to develop criteria for the use and placement of arrow boards in work zones. The research was conducted in three phases. In the first phase available literature on work zone traffic control was reviewed. Human factors investigations were conducted in the second phase to determine driver information requirements, expectancy and understanding of arrow boards. The third phase of the research was an intensive field study of driver responses to arrow boards in actual work zones. Twenty-six construction sites and 23 hours of maintenance activities were studied. The research determined that arrow boards were effective in lane closure work zones because they promoted earlier merging into the open lane and fewer vehicles remained in the closed lane at the start of the lane closure taper. The arrow board was more effective when it was placed on the shoulder of the roadway near the start of the lane closure taper. Arrow boards were not found to be generally effective in traffic diversions or splits or for moving shoulder closures. However, they did prove effective in reducing some specific operational problems in these types of work zones.