Acceleration Lane Design for Higher Truck Volumes

The research project examined attributes associated with tractor-trailer trucks accelerating on freeway entry ramps and entering the main traffic lanes. Data for this project were collected at five commercial vehicle weigh stations in Arkansas and Missouri, which allowed the researchers to examine the effects of vehicle weight as the trucks accelerated. Other attributes examined included truck speeds at various distances from the scales, freeway volumes, and freeway grades. From the analysis, the report offers recommendations about the lengths of acceleration lanes needed for heavy vehicles to accelerate to speeds closer to the speeds on the main lanes, and be less disruptive to freeway traffic flow as the heavy vehicles merge into the main lanes.