Evaluation of Work Zone Capacity Models

Due to aging highways, roadwork on Southern Ontario is becoming increasingly important and increasingly frequent. Lane closures that ensue from this work must be managed appropriately in order to diminish user delay costs and maintain the quality and productivity of work. The ability to predict the capacity of freeway work zones is important in this analysis. Using multiple work zones in the region, this study evaluated six models that were used to estimate capacity. The models were based on data from Texas, Maryland, South Carolina and Ontario. After comparing each model to the observed capacities on five sites across South Western Ontario, the resulting conclusion was that region specific models are required in order to account for local driving practices.