Almost all road users – whether you are in Australia or another country – have at some time experienced the frustration caused by road construction or road maintenance on a highway. However, with professional traffic control services, the impact of road construction and maintenance on traffic flow can be lessened.
In this article, we’ll briefly discuss matters regarding the role of highway traffic control in evaluating the impact roadworks may have on traffic flow and how they manage the situation.
What is Traffic Flow?
According to dictionary definitions “traffic flow” is the movement of individual drivers and vehicles between two points on a road. This includes the interactions they have with one another and the road itself.
In other words, when highway traffic control evaluates traffic flow they are studying the movement of vehicles on a specific section of the highway.
What is Professional Traffic Control?
A traffic controller directs the flow of vehicles and other road users. Doing this professionally involves more than just holding a stop/go sign. The tasks of a highway traffic control officer include much more. As a professional, the traffic control officer, for instance, evaluates the impact specific road constructions and maintenance actions have on traffic flow and takes the necessary steps to keep the road users informed and safe.
What Might be the Impact of Roadworks on Traffic Flow?
Roadworks, especially road construction projects almost always significantly impact traffic flow:
- Road construction or road maintenance, almost always constrain the capacity of a road.
- A common restraint is lane closure.
- Another restraint is lane narrowing.
Highway traffic control has to evaluate these constraints and find ways to lessen the impact on traffic flow. Highway traffic control evaluates the situation daily and sometimes even on an hourly basis.
Depending on the evaluation of the impact of roadworks on traffic flow, the highway traffic control can, for instance, arrange that the roadworks are scaled down during peak hours. Another way to solve the problem is to advise road users to use alternative routes.
Traffic Control Hiring
With large construction or maintenance projects, road authorities sometimes don’t have enough traffic officers to evaluate the impact of the roadworks on traffic flow, or enough officers to implement the highway traffic control’s recommendations regarding traffic flow. They then hire one of the traffic control companies, such as the UVS Group, to assist them. The UVS Group, like the other experienced and reliable companies, has earned a well-established track record and is well-equipped and has experience in Australian highway traffic control.
