Work Zone Mapping and Tag Deployment System

Project summary:

Roadway construction is an inevitable part of functional transportation infrastructure. However, work-zone incidents have increased over the years. This report is the third part of an interdisciplinary project to improve driver safety in work zones. The first component was a human factors study, performed by Craig et al. (2017), determining the most effective way to alert drivers to work zones without disrupting driver behavior. The second component, by Liao (2019), sought to determine whether Bluetooth low-energy tags could be deployed in work zones to provide real-time updates to drivers' mobile phones through an app. The third component, the Statewide Work Zone Information System (SWIS), establishes a real-time database of active work zones from the first advanced warning sign being placed to the time the crews pack up. SWIS uses beacons attached to traffic control devices, called assets, that send messages to a central cloud repository. From there, messages are processed, categorized into Projects, Traffic Control Plans, and Work Zones. SWIS continuously updates based on asset messages it receives. Users can access SWIS through a web interface to view active, past, or future projects, plan a project, or update existing projects. SWIS provides an online, real-time portal for storing, monitoring, and inspecting work zone traffic-control operations.