Forensic Engineering Technology Solutions for Highway Work Zone Temporary Traffic Control Investigations

Abstract

Incidents or collisions involving pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcycles, automobiles, heavy trucks, or tractor-trailers frequently occur in roadway or roadside areas affected by highway construction projects. When such events arise, the ensuing claims or litigation processes often concern whether or not the temporary traffic control (TTC) system in place at the time was compliant with the applicable standard of care. Due to the short-term and constantly changing nature of construction projects and work zones, the hardest challenge for the forensicengineer is often to determine what was in place at the time and location of the incident. This paper will introduce and expound on the application of modern technology solutions to address these questions. Methods for extraction of useful information from the raw data will be addressed, along with examples demonstrating the engineering application of this data to the underlying legal questions.