Challenge

Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) came to Kittelson looking for a way to identify optimal timing for work zones on state freeways. Their existing process was complicated and time-consuming, and they wanted a tool that would simplify the process while yielding more precise results.

Solution

Kittelson’s software development team built a custom tool for FDOT that shows the ideal dates for work zones and lane closures based on demand predictions. With a few simple inputs from the user-freeway segment, number of lanes closed, barrier type (cones or concrete), work zone date and time-the tool uses the procedures provided in NCHRP 03-107: Work Zone Capacity Methods for the Highway Capacity Manual to display predicted demand for every hour of the work zone day, whether it will be under or over capacity, and the monetary cost of any predicted delays. The tool includes a calendar feature that shows variance in demand by day of the week and time of year, helping FDOT select optimal seasons for projects as well as specific dates.