Optimal Lane Closure for Rail Line Construction to Mitigate Urban Traffic Impacts

Abstract

As a result of lane closures during rail line construction, traffic conditions inevitably deteriorate and cause traffic congestion. This paper proposes a paradigm for identifying optimal lane closures to maximize the average speed (V avg ) in the construction area. The framework begins with creating a simulation model to examine the traffic impact of each lane closure alternative and applies the Box-Behnken design technique to limit the number of possible scenarios. The case study for this research was the six-lane (three lanes in each direction) Road 304 in Bangkok, Thailand. The results confirmed that the partial lane closure alternatives would increase V avg by at least 5% from having one lane fully closed. The optimal construction spacing in the case study was 1.5 km to obtain the maximum V avg . However, the optimal lane closure length occurred when its value was close to 0 km, which is impractical. Thus, the paper recommends a lower threshold for the lane closure length of 1.4 km compared to other literature. Furthermore, the longest possible lane closure should be designated for light traffic volumes, whereas a dynamic speed limit should be implemented to alternate the speed limit during peak and off-peak periods for high traffic volumes.