Use of Technology and Data for Effective 

Work Zone Management

Work Zone Intelligent 

Transportation Systems 

Implementation Guide 

January 2014
Notice

This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the Department of Transportation in the interest of 

information exchange. The United States Government assumes no liability for its contents or use thereof. This 

report does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation.

The United States Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade and manufacturers’ names 

appear in this report only because they are considered essential to the object of the document.

Quality Assurance Statement

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) provides high-quality information to serve Government, industry, 

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Cover photo and chapter heading photos courtesy of Shutterstock, Fotolia, and Veer.
1. Report No.

FHWA-HOP-14-008

 2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient’s Catalog No.

4. Title and Subtitle

Use of Technology and Data for Effective Work Zone Management: Work Zone 

ITS Implementation Guide

 5. Report Date

January 2014

 6. Performing Organization Code

 7. Author(s)

Gerald Ullman (TTI); Jeremy Schroeder, Deepak Gopalakrishna (Battelle) 

 8. Performing Organization Report No.

 9. Performing Organization Name and Address

Battelle Texas A&M Transportation Institute

505 King Ave. The Texas A&M University System

Columbus, OH 43201 College Station, Texas 77843-3135 

10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS)

11. Contract or Grant No.

DTFH61-06-D-0007 / BA07-101

12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address

Federal Highway Administration

Office of Operations (HOP)

1200 New Jersey Avenue SE

Washington, DC 20590

13. Type of Report and Period Covered

14. Sponsoring Agency Code

15. Supplementary Notes

Project performed in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration. 

Tracy Scriba, project lead 

16. Abstract

ITS is the use of a broad range of communications-based information and electronics technologies to enhance transportation. 

Work zone ITS is the use of ITS to enhance transportation and improve safety and mobility in and around work zones. A work 

zone ITS deployment can be focused around safety or mobility, but often supports both goals, and can also enhance productivity. The systems are portable and temporary in most cases, although some deployments may use either existing fixed infrastructure or become a permanent system.

The purpose of this document is to provide guidance on implementing ITS in work zones to assist public agencies, design 

and construction firms, and industry, including developers, manufacturers, distributors, packagers, and providers of devices, 

systems, and programs. Work zone ITS is one possible operational strategy of many potential solutions that an agency can 

include in a transportation management plan (TMP). This document summarizes key steps for successfully implementing ITS 

in work zones, using a systematic approach to provide a technical solution that accomplishes a specific set of clearly defined 

objectives. The document illustrates how a systems engineering process should be applied to determine the feasibility and 

design of work zone ITS for a given application, regardless of its scale, by walking through the key phases, from project concept 

through operation. These steps include assessment of needs; concept development and feasibility; detailed system planning 

and design; procurement; system deployment; and system operation, maintenance, and evaluation. 

17. . Key Words

Work zones, intelligent transportation systems, ITS 

18. Distribution Statement

No restrictions. This document is available to the public.

19. Security Classif.(of this report)

Unclassified

20. Security Classif. (of this page)

Unclassified

21. No. of Pages

80

22. Price

Reproduction of completed page authorized

Technical Report Documentation Page

INTRODUCTION 1

What is work zone ITS? 1

 Some current technology options and strategies 2

Benefits that are possible with work zone ITS 4

Purpose and organization of this document 4

STEP 1 – ASSESSMENT OF NEEDS 7

1.1 What are the user needs? 7

1.2 What are the system goals and objectives? 9

1.3 Who are the stakeholders? 11

1.4 Who should be on the project team? 12

1.5 What, if any, existing ITS resources are available? 12

STEP 2 – CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT AND FEASIBILITY 15

2.1 What is the overall work zone ITS concept of operations? 15

2.2 What ITS solutions are available? 18

2.3 What are the potential benefits of an ITS deployment? 21

2.4 How much will an ITS deployment cost? 21

2.5 What are potential institutional and jurisdictional challenges? 22

2.6 Addressing legal and policy issues 23

2.7 How can project feasibility be established? 23

2.8 How can buy-in be obtained from stakeholders and other agencies? 27

STEP 3 – DETAILED SYSTEM PLANNING AND DESIGN 29

3.1 Determining system requirements and specifications 29

3.2 Developing the system design 31

3.3 Developing a testing strategy 32

3.4 Planning for operations and maintenance 33

3.5 Determining staff training needs for those using and operating the work zone ITS 33

3.6 Planning for public outreach 34

3.7 Investigating system security 36

3.8 Planning for evaluation 36

3.9 Estimating system benefits and costs 39

STEP 4 – PROCUREMENT 41

4.1 Overview of procurement approaches 41

4.2 Deciding between direct or indirect procurement 43

4.3 Determining the procurement award mechanism 46

4.4 Issuing a request for proposals or bids 46

4.5 Selecting the preferred vendor, consultant, or contractor 47

STEP 5 – SYSTEM DEPLOYMENT 51

5.1 Implementing the system plans 52

5.2 Scheduling decisions 52

5.3 System acceptance testing 53

5.4 Handling major deployment issues 53

STEP 6 – SYSTEM OPERATION, MAINTENANCE, AND EVALUATION 55

6.1 Dealing with changing work zone conditions 55

6.2 Using and sharing ITS information 56

6.3 Maintaining adequate staffing 58
6.4 Leveraging public support 58

6.5 Conducting system monitoring and evaluation 58

6.5.1 System monitoring 58

6.5.2 System modification 59

6.5.3 Final evaluation 60

List of Appendices

Appendix A. National ITS Architecture 61

Appendix B. Summary of Resources Reported in this Document 63

Appendix C. Issues for Consideration 65

Appendix D. Acknowledgements 68

List of Figures

Figure 1. A portable changeable message sign providing downstream traffic speeds from sensor data. 1

Figure 2. Temporary, solar-powered vehicle detection and camera systems. 2

Figure 3. Sequencing comparative travel time sign at a decision point for two different routes to the

 town of Lehi that was used for a project in Utah. 5

Figure 4. Overview of the implementation process. 5

Figure 5. Sub-steps to be explored in Step 1. 7

Figure 6. Example of a work zone and area of expected impacts. 10

Figure 7. Existing ITS resources can be used to help manage the work zone and reduce costs. 12

Figure 8. Sub-steps to be explored in Step 2. 15

Figure 9. General outline showing the sections of a formal concept of operations document based 

 on the IEEE 1362-1998 standard. 16

Figure 10. High-level sketch for the concept of operations of a work zone ITS deployment in Utah. 17

Figure 11. The product of this step should include concept of operations scenarios, such as this 

 graphic for a work zone traffic management system. 28

Figure 12. Sub-steps to be explored in Step 3. 29

Figure 13. Requirements for a work zone ITS deployment in Minnesota. 30

Figure 14. The Las Vegas Freeway and Arterial System for Transportation (FAST) provides regional 

 support for work zone activities. 31

Figure 15. Example press release for a work zone in New Hampshire. 35

Figure 16. PCMS in several states have been illegally accessed and had messages changed. 36

Figure 17. Overall evaluation process for ITS applications in work zones. 38

Figure 18. Sub-steps to be explored in Step 4. 41

Figure 19. Agencies must select the work zone ITS type first, which could impact the type of 

 procurement method and award mechanism that are used. 42

Figure 20. Sub-steps to be explored in Step 5. 51

Figure 21. Sub-steps to be explored in Step 6. 55

Figure 22. PCMS messages were modified from a generic message (left) as stated in the 

 contract to a more specific message (right). 59
List of Tables

Table 1. Sample work zone ITS applications. 3

Table 2. Examples of site-specific issues and problems. 8

Table 3. ITS components. 18

Table 4. Communication options, advantages, and disadvantages. 20

Table 5. Examples of benefits for various work zone ITS. 21

Table 6. Example set of scoring criteria to establish feasibility of work zone ITS. 25

Table 7. Possible work zone ITS applications to consider for various critical project characteristics. 26

Table 8. Example evaluation criteria. 39

Table 9. Summary table of procurement methods. 45
AASHTO American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials

ADT Average Daily Traffic

ATIS Advanced Traveler Information System

ATSSA American Traffic Safety Services Association

AVI Automatic Vehicle Identification

AVL Automatic Vehicle Location

CCTV Closed-Circuit Television

CITE Consortium for ITS Training and Education 

CMS Changeable message sign

COTS Commercial Off-The-Shelf

DB Design-Build

DOT Department of Transportation

FCC Federal Communications Commission

FHWA Federal Highway Administration

GPS Global Positioning System (Satellite)

HAR Highway Advisory Radio

IP Internet Protocol

ITS Intelligent Transportation Systems

IDAS ITS Deployment Analysis System

JPO Joint Program Office

LED Light Emitting Diode

LTAP Local Technical Assistance Program

MCO Maintenance & Construction Operations

MOE Measure of Effectiveness

MUTCD Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices

NCHRP National Cooperative Highway Research Program

NHI National Highway Institute 

NTCIP National Transportation Communications for ITS Protocol

PCB Professional Capacity Building

PCMS Portable Changeable message sign

RFID Radio Frequency Identification

RFP Request for Proposals

RITA Research and Innovative Technology Administration

TMC Transportation Management Center

TMP Transportation Management Plan 

TRB Transportation Research Board

UNII Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure 

VSL Variable Speed Limit

VMT Vehicle Miles Traveled 

V2I Vehicle-to-Infrastructure

V2V Vehicle-to-Vehicle

Wi-Fi Wireless Internet/Network

Acronyms and Abbreviations
WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE INTRODUCTION 01

Highway work zones present challenges to work zone 

safety and mobility. Work zones often reduce roadway 

capacity, causing congestion and traveler delay and 

creating irregular traffic flow. These factors, as well as 

the changing lane configurations and other factors in 

work zones, can lead to safety hazards. There are more 

than 500 fatalities and 37,000 injuries in work zones 

every year.1 However, work zones are a necessary 

part of maintaining and rehabilitating our transportation 

infrastructure. These needs are increasing as our 

transportation system ages, which means more work 

zones will likely occur. These factors all combine to 

create challenges to moving traffic smoothly and safely 

through work zones and which heightens the need 

for finding new ways to enhance work zone traffic 

management. Agencies are deploying intelligent 

transportation systems (ITS) to help manage traffic in 

and around work zones more efficiently. 

What is work zone ITS?

ITS is the use of a broad range of communicationsbased information and electronics technologies to 

enhance transportation. These systems generally 

include:

•	 Sensors and other components in the field to collect

traffic information, such as traffic volumes and 

speeds and video of traffic flow

•	 Communications links (wireless and wired) to transmit

that data for processing or dissemination

•	 Software that processes and analyzes the data,

converting it to information that can be used by other 

components and various users of the information

•	 Electronic equipment to disseminate the processed

information to end users of the information, such as 

motorists and transportation agencies.

Work zone ITS is the use of ITS to enhance 

transportation and improve safety and mobility in 

and around work zones. Information provided by 

work zone ITS may be in the form of real-time traffic 

conditions, such as travel delays through a work zone or 

recommended diversion routes, which can be used my 

motorists to alter their travel behavior and by contractors 

and transportation agencies to alter traffic control 

strategies, traveler information, or work schedules. 

Work zone ITS may also be used to provide immediate 

warnings, such as to drivers that traffic is stopped ahead 

1 As of 2010; for more information, see: http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/resources/facts_stats/injuries_fatalities.htm.

INTRODUCTION

or that a slow truck is entering from a work zone or to 

workers that a vehicle is intruding into their work area. 

A work zone ITS deployment can be focused around 

safety or mobility, but often supports both goals, and can 

also enhance productivity. The systems are portable and 

temporary in most cases, although some deployments 

may use either existing fixed infrastructure or become a 

permanent system. 

A work zone ITS deployment varies in scale based on the 

magnitude of the construction project and the specific 

concerns being addressed in a given location. Not 

all ITS deployments are complicated and expensive. 

One of the most common components of a work zone 

ITS deployment is a portable changeable message 

signs (PCMS) that can be used to communicate traffic 

conditions to motorists, as shown in Figure 1, based on 

real-time traffic data collected from sensors. 

ITS deployments can have the same objective, but vary 

widely in how the objective is achieved. Factors that vary 

from deployment to deployment include:

•	 What type of data is collected (e.g., traffic volumes and

speeds, queue detection);

•	 How data is collected (e.g., radar, cameras);

•	 How data is communicated (e.g., cellular, Bluetooth,

fiber optic connection);

•	 What level of detail of information is disseminated

(e.g., “slow traffic ahead”, “speed ahead 35 mph”);

•	 How that information is shared (e.g., websites, PCMS);

•	 How “real-time” the information is (e.g., predicted,

based on current speeds). 

Figure 1. A portable changeable message sign providing 

downstream traffic speeds from sensor data.

 Source: FHWA
02 INTRODUCTION WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

Challenge: Agencies may impose penalties to 

contractors for creating excessive delays or queues 

during a project, but may not have the personnel 

available to monitor work activities continuously to verify 

compliance. 

Potential application: Work zone ITS can be deployed 

to monitor and archive traffic conditions continuously, 

and the resulting data can be used when assessing 

liquidated damages or lane rental fees. Archived data 

can also be used to evaluate traffic control plan changes 

or even analyze and estimate impacts in future similar 

work zones.

Table 1 provides a listing of common work zone ITS 

applications. It summarizes the components included 

in each application and provides a general indication of 

the safety and mobility issues the application attempts 

to address. As Table 1 suggests, many of the same ITS 

components are used in each application. Consequently, 

there are some overlaps in how systems can be 

designed and implemented to address specific work 

zone conditions. The differences between applications 

lie primarily in how the systems are designed to convey 

information to the motorist or traveler. 

The applications presented in Table 1 may be deployed 

individually or be grouped together depending on the 

work zone. Ultimately, all of these applications seek to 

provide a more active management capability to the 

agency to achieve desired mobility and/or safety goals. 

Additional deployment examples have been documented 

in numerous case studies conducted by FHWA on work 

zone ITS.2

 As a part of this project, FHWA sponsored 

additional case studies to examine deployments of ITS in 

work zones in Effingham, Illinois; Mount Vernon, Illinois; 

Salt Lake City, Utah; Orem/Provo, Utah; and Las Vegas, 

Nevada in 2012.

Work zone ITS may be leased or purchased through 

variety of procurement mechanisms. In some cases, 

data may be leased/purchased from a third party that is 

already collecting the data (e.g., through Bluetooth) and 

the ITS is primarily used to process and disseminate the 

information. 

Users of the information provided by work zone ITS may 

include departments of transportation (DOTs), the public 

and road users, nearby businesses and employers, 

media outlets, contractors, trucking companies, 

emergency services providers, motorist assistance 

patrols, and third party traveler information providers. 

Some current technology options and strategies

ITS can be used to help address many work zone 

challenges and can take many forms in work zone 

applications. For example: 

Challenge: Frequent but unpredictable congestion due 

to long-term or short-term lane closures.

Potential application: Benefits may be achieved 

from deploying a system that detects the onset of 

congestion, measures conditions on nearby alternate 

route(s), and automatically presents current travel times 

on the alternate and the current roadway to encourage 

diversion when appropriate. If alternate routes are not 

available, the work zone may benefit from an automatic 

queue detection warning system if the speed differential 

between approaching traffic and the traffic already in the 

queue is large. 

Challenge: Reduced or eliminated emergency 

shoulders. 

Potential application: Benefits may be achieved from 

an ITS deployment that focuses on incident detection, 

verification, and response within the work zone.

Challenge: Need for frequent direct access by 

construction vehicles and equipment to/from the travel 

lanes may result in conflicts with other road users, such 

as drivers following work vehicles into the work space 

or large speed differentials between motorists and 

construction vehicles entering the travel lanes from the 

work space. 

Potential application: ITS could be used to notify 

motorists following a work vehicle that it will be entering 

the work zone and not to follow the construction vehicle, 

or to determine when the entrance of a construction 

vehicle is imminent and warn approaching motorists or 

direct them to change lanes or to stop. 

2 Additional information on these case studies can be found at: http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/its.

Figure 2. Temporary, solar-powered vehicle detection 

and camera systems.

 Source: FHWA
WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE INTRODUCTION 03 Table 1. Sample work zone ITS applications. Work Zone ITS Brief System Description ITS Components Issue(s) being Addressed Example of Deployment Real-time Traveler Information Drivers provided information about current travel conditions; can be used to encourage diversion •	 Traffic data •	 Changeable Message Signs (CMS) •	 Communications •	 Congestion/delay •	 Safety •	 Driver awareness For the I-15 Corridor Expansion (CORE) project, Utah DOT monitored travel times for I-15 and US-89 and posted current, comparative information on changeable message signs to reduce delays, stops, emissions, and the number and severity of traffic incidents. http://www.i15core.utah.gov/ Queue Warning Signs provide warnings to drivers about stopped or slow traffic ahead •	 Traffic data •	 CMS •	 Communications •	 Safety (crashes) For a large work zone on I-35, Texas DOT used sensors to detect the formation of queues and warn drivers of slowed or stopped traffic downstream via CMS. http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/resources/news/wznews_detail.asp?id=618 Dynamic Lane Merge (early merge, late merge) Signs encourage drivers to merge at a specified point based on current conditions •	 Traffic data •	 CMS •	 Communications •	 Delay •	 Aggressive driving behavior •	 Safety •	 Queue length Dynamic lane merge systems on I-95 and evaluated by Florida DOT have shown potential to enhance safety and operations. http://www.dot.state.fl.us/research-center/Completed_Proj/Summary_CN/FDOT_BD548-24_rpt. pdf Incident Management Enables faster detection of incidents for quicker response and clearance time •	 Cameras •	 Traffic data •	 Communications •	 CMS •	 Incident response and clearance time •	 Delay •	 Secondary crashes The Big I project in New Mexico incorporated an incident management system to provide accurate information, support quick identification of incidents, and help to manage area traffic. http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/technologies/albuquerque/index.htm Variable Speed Limits (VSL) Can provide speed harmonization and calm traffic for slow or stopped traffic ahead •	 VSL CMS •	 Traffic data •	 Communications •	 Speed management •	 Safety In 2008, VSL signs were used by Utah DOT in a work zone on I-80 and by Virginia DOT on the I-495/I-95 Capital Beltway. (http://www.udot.utah.gov/main/uconowner.gf?n=7828313631638132, http://www.virginiadot.org/vtrc/main/online_reports/pdf/10-r20.pdf) Automated Enforcement Automated system detects and captures images of speeding vehicles for enforcement purposes •	 Cameras •	 Radar •	 Communications •	 Speed management •	 Safety of law enforcement personnel Some states utilize speed-radar photo enforcement in work zones, including Illinois, which uses vans with retrofitted equipment to reduce speeds through work zones and work zone fatalities. http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/trnews/trnews277rpo.pdf. Entering/ exiting vehicle notification Signs can warn drivers of a slow- moving construction or emergency vehicle entering or exiting the roadway •	 Sensors •	 CMS •	 Communications •	 Safety Pennsylvania DOT used an innovative system for a unique problem involving emergency vehicle access. The system utilized siren-activated pre-emption technology on emergency vehicles to activate CMS alerting oncoming vehicles that a slow-moving emergency vehicle would be entering the roadway. http://www.roadsbridges.com/case-fire Performance Measurement Monitor and archive traffic conditions data to support real-time traveler information, modify operations, and support evaluation. •	 Sensors •	 Communications •	 Archive database •	 Congestion/delay •	 Safety •	 Evaluation Both Ohio and Indiana DOTs have established policies on acceptable work zone queue length and duration. Work zone ITS can monitor and archive traffic data that can be used to evaluate performance measures , including those used in performance-based contracting. Source: Battelle
04 INTRODUCTION WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

Benefits that are possible with work 

zone ITS

ITS work zone systems have the capability to provide 

significant benefits to agencies and to those affected 

by the mobility and safety impacts of road construction 

and maintenance work zones. Many agencies have 

already begun to experience benefits and to pass those 

experiences on to others. In general terms, potential 

benefit impact areas associated with the use of ITS in 

work zones are as follows:

•	Safety – ITS can help to minimize the consequences 

of work zones on both traveler and worker safety. 

Credible warnings of the presence of unexpected 

queues, notification and reassurance of travel times 

to reduce driver stress, and credible warnings of 

construction vehicle access and egress are examples 

of how work zone ITS can improve the safety of both 

travelers and workers. Systems that automatically 

adjust the speed limit of the work zone to current 

conditions, automate enforcement of traffic laws, or 

help to quickly identify when incidents have occurred in 

work zones can also significantly improve safety. For 

example, the use of an incident management system 

in a New Mexico work zone reduced average incident 

clearance time by 20 minutes and is believed to have 

reduced the frequency of secondary crashes.3

•	Mobility – Reduced travel time delay is a primary 

benefit of many work zone ITS applications. Travelers 

making adjustments to their route, departure time, or 

mode choices based on information provided by ITS, 

or the use of alternate traffic management practices 

(e.g., dynamic lane merging, VSL) via ITS can reduce 

delay. For example, real-time traveler information 

induced up to 19% diversion away from a route with 

a work zone in California.3 These adjustments benefit 

not only those travelers who made changes to their 

trips, but others who continued to travel through the 

work zone. Mobility benefits will be especially high 

on facilities that serve a large amount of commercial 

vehicle traffic, as the value of commercial vehicle travel 

time is very high.

•	Improved work productivity and durability – Work 

zone ITS can also improve agency and contractor 

productivity and efficiency, ultimately reducing the 

number of days that the work zone is present and 

reducing contractor operating costs. Reduced 

congestion and improved mobility can allow the 

contractor to use fewer trucks to bring materials 

3 For more information and other examples, see: http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/its 

4 Additional information can be found at: http://www.itsbenefits.its.dot.gov/ITS/benecost.nsf/ID/76C9F2DE2BF5DB1D85257603004E031D?Open

Document&Query=Home.

into the work space during certain work operations. 

Better control over material delivery time can result in 

more durable, high-quality construction. Real-time 

monitoring of traffic volumes can allow agencies and 

contractors to initiate lane closure activities as soon 

as conditions will allow each day or night, rather than 

wait for a prescribed time that is typically based on a 

worst-case estimate of traffic demands. Further, the 

use of ITS in and around work zones can allow for 

the automation of functions that would normally have 

to be performed manually by agency personnel. For 

example, work zone ITS can be deployed to monitor 

and archive traffic conditions continuously, and 

the resulting data can assist agencies in imposing 

penalties on contractors for creating excessive delays 

or queues during a project. Archived data from work 

zone ITS can also be used to evaluate traffic control 

plan changes or analyze and estimate impacts in future 

similar work zones. 

•	Customer satisfaction – Information gathered and 

provided by work zone ITS can lead to increased 

customer satisfaction. ITS allows agencies to update 

motorists about changes in traffic conditions in the 

same fashion they occur—in real time. The relative 

ease of relaying information to the media, websites, 

social media, and phone applications can enable 

more frequent updates, as well as wider access to 

this information. To improve customer satisfaction by 

reducing delay, a project in Utah used an advanced 

traffic management system to monitor traffic and 

post comparative travel time information on CMS, as 

shown in Figure 3.3

 On the CMS, an arrow to the left 

indicated the travel time to Lehi using I-15 (accessible 

to the left) and an arrow pointing ahead indicated the 

travel time via an alternate route (State Street). In Little 

Rock, Arkansas, 82 percent of drivers surveyed agreed 

that an Automated Work Zone Information System 

improved their ability to react to slow or stopped 

traffic.4

 Awareness of real-time work zone conditions 

can improve the favorable perception of the agency to 

travelers, business owners, residents, and users within 

the agency. 

Purpose and organization of this document

The purpose of this document is to provide guidance on 

implementing ITS in work zones to assist public agencies, 

design and construction firms, and industry, including 

developers, manufacturers, distributors, packagers, and 

providers of devices, systems, and programs. Work zone 

ITS is one possible operational strategy of many potential 
WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE INTRODUCTION 05

Figure 3. Sequencing comparative travel time sign at a 

decision point for two different routes to the town of Lehi that 

was used for a project in Utah.

solutions that an agency can include in a transportation 

management plan (TMP). A TMP, as required by the 

work zone Safety and Mobility Rule5

, lays out a set of 

work zone management strategies—work zone traffic 

control, public information and outreach, transportation 

operations—that the agency will use to manage the 

impacts of a particular road project. Considering 

whether to deploy work zone ITS on a project and 

designing and deploying a system should be done 

as part of work zone impacts assessment and TMP 

development and implementation.

This document summarizes key steps for implementing 

ITS in work zones. Successful implementation of 

ITS applications in work zones requires a systematic 

approach to provide a technical solution that 

accomplishes a specific set of clearly defined objectives. 

The document illustrates how a systems engineering 

process should be applied to determine the feasibility 

and design of work zone ITS for a given application by 

walking through the key phases, from project concept 

through operation. In addition, the guide discusses 

evaluating the effectiveness of the system in achieving 

stakeholder goals (an important but often overlooked 

activity). 

The guide identifies where and how existing regional and 

statewide ITS architectures should be considered for 

consistency and interoperability with currently deployed 

ITS elements, especially when the systems will become 

part of a permanent deployment.6

This document is organized into chapters corresponding 

to the steps in the development and implementation 

process, which are shown in Figure 4. Each chapter 

addresses the challenges and barriers that agencies may 

face in deploying ITS applications. Lessons learned are 

included where appropriate (and compiled in Appendix 

C), to provide information on how other agencies have 

overcome these challenges and potential barriers.

This document is intended to guide users through the 

deployment of any work zone ITS, regardless of its 

scale. Although the overall scope of the envisioned 

project will ultimately determine the complexity and level 

of effort required during planning, the steps included 

in this document should apply equally to the range of 

deployments, from small-scale, temporary deployments 

lasting a few months to complex, multi-year ITS 

deployments that may eventually be incorporated into 

permanent traffic monitoring and management systems. 

 Source: FHWA

Figure 4. Overview of the implementation process.

System

Operation,

Maintenance,

and 

Evaluation

STEP 6

System

Deployment

STEP 5

Procurement

STEP 4

Concept 

Development 

and Feasibility

Detailed 

System 

Planning 

and 

Design

STEP 2 STEP 3

Source: Battelle

Assessment

of Needs

STEP 1

5 More information on the Rule (23 CFR 630 Subpart J) is available at: http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/resources/final_rule.htm

6 More information on ITS architecture is available at: http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/its_arch_imp.
06 INTRODUCTION WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE
WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE ASSESSMENT OF NEEDS 07

This section describes key activities or considerations that should be addressed in Step 1 of the implementation 

process, in which the work zone needs are established and preliminary information is gathered. The sub-steps that 

will be explored in Step 1 are depicted in Figure 5.

STEP 1

ASSESSMENT OF 

NEEDS

1.1 What are the user needs?

Users are those who will use and directly benefit from 

the outputs of the work zone ITS system. Most often, 

user needs are in reference to travelers, but user needs 

may also be identified for the agency or contractor. Each 

work zone presents different challenges and unique 

circumstances that affect user needs. Table 2 provides 

examples of some of the issues that may be encountered 

in a work zone and need to be addressed. 

The first sub-step in Step 1 is to determine what issues/

needs exist for the work zone. This should be performed 

in the context of an overall assessment of the expected 

impacts of the work zone, and in coordination with the 

transportation management plan (TMP) development 

process for the work zone.7

 This larger perspective is 

important because there may be more than one TMP 

strategy that can address the need, and work zone ITS 

may not be the best alternative to mitigate these issues 

Determining the user needs first will help an agency better 

decide whether work zone ITS will adequately address 

the problem at hand and if it is the most suitable solution. 

Work zone ITS should be intentionally applied as a 

carefully designed solution to a well-defined problem.

Figure 5. Sub-steps to be explored in Step 1.

What, if any, 

existing ITS 

resources 

are available?

1.5

Who 

should 

be on the 

project 

team?

1.4

Who are 

the 

stakeholders?

1.3

What are 

the user 

needs?

What are 

the system 

goals and 

objectives?

1.1 1.2

01

Source: Battelle

7 More information on work zone impacts assessment and TMP development is available at http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/resources/final_rule/guidance.htm. 
08 ASSESSMENT OF NEEDS WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

This project provides an example of the importance and value of considering user needs early in the work zone planning 

process. The McClugage Bridge consists of two independent spans, each serving one direction of US 24/US 150 travel 

through Peoria and across the Illinois River. During the rehabilitation effort, the eastbound span of the bridge was closed 

completely, and traffic in both directions of travel was placed on the westbound span. The Illinois DOT and the contractor 

elected to use both a movable barrier system and work zone ITS to try to address mobility problems expected from 

the bridge closure. However, officials found that the movable barrier provided sufficient peak period and peak direction 

capacity through the work zone that the congestion that was feared never materialized. As a result, the work zone ITS 

never had to be activated during the project. 

Not all user needs will automatically imply that work zone ITS is required. Analysis in subsequent steps of concept 

development may indicate that some other approach to mitigating the problem to address the user need is more 

appropriate, or may verify that the work zone ITS solution is needed. In this example, greater consideration of the effect of 

the moveable barrier may have indicated that there was not a significant user need to warn approaching traffic about travel 

conditions, such as stopped traffic. 

Satterfield, C. Moveable Barrier Solves Work Zone Dilemma. In Public Roads, Vol. 65, No. 1, July/August 2001, pp. 26-29. 

Accessible at: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/01julaug/workzone.cfm.

•	 Long-term capacity reductions will create daily peak-period delays.

•	 A contractor is managing material deliveries from the batch plant to the job site and needs to know when and how much

the travel time between the two locations is changing over time because of congestion.

•	 Loss of shoulders will make effects of incidents more severe and longer-lasting. Ability of emergency services to reach

incidents will be hampered.

•	 Geometric constraints upstream of the project will make it critical to minimize queue lengths due to any lane closures.	

•	 Ridesharing and transit users during the project need to be given a travel time advantage to promote mode shift.

•	 Off-peak short-term lanes closures will create unexpected queues, and significant diversion is needed to keep queues at

reasonable lengths.

•	 Nighttime lane closures will create queues and large-speed differentials, increasing rear-end crash risk.	

•	 Constrained geometrics are likely to necessitate a reduced speed limit through the project, but those constraints will make

enforcement of the reduced speed limit very difficult.

•	 Haul vehicle difficulties to access and egress the work space will delay material deliveries, and increase the number of

vehicles required to support work tasks.

•	 A contractor is managing material deliveries from the batch plant to the job site and needs to know when and how much

the travel time between the two locations is changing over time because of congestion.

Examples of mobility issues or problems:

Examples of safety issues or problems:

Table 2. Examples of site-specific issues and problems.

Example: McClugage Bridge rehabilitation, Peoria, Illinois.

Examples of productivity issues or problems:

Source: FHWA
WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE ASSESSMENT OF NEEDS 09

When identifying and describing the user needs for 

a particular project, it is important to be as specific 

as possible. For example, the Illinois DOT identified 

unexpected queue formation at work zones in semirural areas as a concern. They specified that that 

these concerns existed whenever a temporary lane 

closure or long-term road closure was required, and 

whenever a vehicle stall might occur (because of a lack 

of emergency shoulders to move the vehicle out of 

travel lanes). Trying to reduce the effects of unexpected 

queues, coupled with the unpredictability of the events 

causing those queues, was the specific user need to 

be addressed. Similarly, the Texas DOT also had a 

user need to reduce the effects of unexpected queues 

during construction projects along I-35. However, 

in defining their needs they also desired to minimize 

the amount of equipment deployed within each of the 

several projects that were ongoing simultaneously along 

the 90+ mile corridor. They also wanted to be able to 

accurately detect and measure the length of queue that 

developed at each temporary lane closure installed so 

that forecasts of delay impacts from the closure could be 

disseminated to motorists farther upstream. Thus, their 

specific user needs were somewhat different from those 

of Illinois DOT, even though both were concerned about 

the same general issue.

Another consideration are regulatory requirements 

or agency policies associated with monitoring and 

assessing the impacts of a work zone. For example, 

an agency’s policy may limit work zone delays to 20 

minutes. Work zone ITS can be used to monitor if a work 

zone is meeting the agency’s target. 23 CFR Subpart 

C (sometimes referred to as the 1201 rule from the 

SAFETEA-LU Highway Authorization Act of the 109th 

U.S. Congress)8

 establishes minimum requirements 

for agencies for real-time information, including work 

zone lane closure information for long-term construction 

projects. The Work Zone Safety and Mobility Rule (23 

CFR 630 Subpart J) requires agencies to use work zone 

safety and operational data to improve projects and 

agency policies, processes, and procedures regarding 

work zone safety and mobility management. Work zone 

ITS is one of the possible ways to gather data for use in 

assessing work zone performance.

1.2 What are the system goals and 

objectives?

An agency must clearly articulate its goals at the outset 

of the project to best ensure deployment of a system 

that will satisfy those objectives. Although general 

goals or objectives for the system may be stated as 

8 The text of Section 511.309 can be found at: http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=66686edfa10d4ace67b3e67bbc442ef7&rgn=div5&view=text&n

ode=23:1.0.1.6.16&idno=23.

9 Available at: http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop10027/

agency policy, it is the responsibility of staff engineers 

and planners to translate general goals into specific, 

measurable, and, most importantly, attainable objectives 

for the project and the work zone ITS (e.g., no more 

than 20-minute delays or 2-mile queues). The goals 

and objectives should address user needs identified 

in Step 1.1 and through impacts assessment, and 

also support TMP development. System goals and 

objectives should also follow SMART criteria, meaning 

that they are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, 

and Time-bound. The key factor in this step is to set 

realistic objectives for the system and avoid the creation 

of unrealistic expectations that result in diminished 

credibility in the system’s outputs. In other words, if a 

work zone ITS would be deployed, what would it do to 

address user needs?

Those engaged in the goal-setting process should 

periodically check to ensure that goals or objectives have 

corresponding means of measurement. In other words, 

how will success of a system be measured during and 

after it is deployed? It will be important to match data 

availability and/or processing capabilities of the system 

with the desired goals and objectives. For example, if 

a queue length threshold is established for the project, 

the system should be capable of providing reasonable 

queue length estimates. Conversely, if delay is the 

desired metric, a system that directly measures travel 

time and delays might be more appropriate.

In general, the system should be adequately robust to 

consider the full impact of the work zone. As shown 

in Figure 6, for example, the area of ITS influence 

due to a work zone may include adjacent routes. It is 

likely that at least some drivers will divert, regardless 

of whether messages encourage taking an alternate 

route. This additional traffic may cause congestion 

on those adjacent routes and should be considered 

when planning for the ITS. If diversion is expected, 

ITS devices may be required on alternate routes as 

well as the mainline. These alternate routes will need 

to be monitored and managed in order for benefits to 

be achieved. While the ITS zone on the mainline may 

extend upstream from the work zone beyond the length 

of the expected queue (e.g., a queue warning system), 

and perhaps upstream from a diversion point (e.g., 

real-time travel information system with comparative 

travel times or suggesting alternate routes), ITS could 

also be considered on alternate routes that could be 

impacted. The FHWA report “Advancing Metropolitan 

Planning for Operations: The Building Blocks of a Model 

Transportation Plan Incorporating Operations – A Desk 

Reference” may serve as a useful guide for this step.9
This is particularly important for deployments that are intended to convey delay or queue length information to users. In some 

deployments, work zone impacts periodically extended beyond the limits of the ITS devices. When this happened, the system 

was unable to provide accurate information. More importantly, the motorists sat through several minutes of delay before 

encountering a message that there were delays and reduced speeds in the work zone. This severely limited the credibility, 

usefulness, and benefits of the system.

10 ASSESSMENT OF NEEDS WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

Figure 6. Example of a work zone and area of expected impacts. 

If goals and objectives become more manageable to achieve through a different technique, that technique should be selected 

instead of ITS. Other strategies may be more economical and effective in meeting goals and objectives

Although some ITS applications may be promoted as a catch-all solution to safety and capacity problems, field testing has not 

always shown conclusive benefits. Work zone ITS should be well designed and smartly applied to scenarios in which benefits 

are most likely to be achieved. 

Source: Battelle

Key point: Work zone ITS is one of several tools available to address specific safety and mobility 

 issues in work zones.

Tip: Have realistic expectations.

Tip: Be sure that the work zone ITS fully captures the range of impacts for which it is intended. 

!

Area of ITS Deployment Influence

Locations of Expected

Work Zone Impacts

WORK ZONE

Alternate Route
WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE ASSESSMENT OF NEEDS 11

1.3 Who are the stakeholders?

Stakeholders should be engaged early in the project 

development process to ensure that a full range of 

possibilities can be considered. Stakeholders include 

any person or organization that may be affected by 

construction, and all agencies that are directly involved 

with motorist assistance, law enforcement, and providing 

traveler information. Stakeholders are a broader group 

than users, and include those who are not intended 

to be primary users of an ITS deployment. Potential 

stakeholders include:

•	State DOT (including those with ITS expertise)

•	City transportation agencies

•	Metropolitan Planning Organizations

•	County transportation agencies

•	FHWA Division Office

•	Service patrol/contractors

•	Construction contractors

•	State and local police departments

•	Fire departments

•	Emergency medical services

•	Local businesses

•	Shopping centers and other major traffic generators

•	Major commercial trucking companies

•	Motorists

•	Media

•	Residents

•	Public officials

•	Other incident management agencies.

Stakeholders should include policy makers, as well 

as staff from agencies involved in the deployment, 

operation, and maintenance of both the work zone and 

the ITS application. Although not all of these groups may 

have a direct interest in all of the project’s objectives, 

they may be able to offer valuable insight that expands 

the original vision to achieve greater benefits.

If the project is within an area that has already developed 

a regional ITS architecture, many of the stakeholders 

would have already been identified. This would be a 

good place to start to establish a core team to further 

define the system concept. This group can also help 

identify other potential work zone information sharing 

opportunities between jurisdictions and agencies.

Stakeholders must be involved early on for a successful 

ITS implementation. Input from these groups can result 

in better deployment plans. It is unlikely, especially for 

smaller projects, that stakeholders will convene for a 

meeting solely about ITS; instead discussion regarding 

ITS will likely be part of a larger agenda, such as on 

the TMP or the project alternatives and schedule. It 

is important to ensure that ITS is included on this 

larger agenda to help stakeholders understand the 

possible deployment and gain their input and support. 

Smaller working groups should be developed and 

convened regularly to keep all stakeholders informed 

about the progress of an ITS deployment. The goals 

of such a working group should include keeping 

stakeholders informed, creating opportunities for 

input and participation, providing feedback, creating 

an informed consensus, and identifying the need for 

system adjustments during deployment. Working group 

discussions might be combined with related meetings 

such as those on maintenance of traffic.

Stakeholders need to have input in developing the goals 

and objectives of the implementation and should review 

strategies and plans to make sure their needs are being 

met to the fullest extent possible. Ideally, this input will 

be gathered as part of the project impacts assessment 

and TMP development process to support an efficient 

and coordinated process for work zone management. 

Stakeholders should review critical steps in system 

development and should be influential when decisions 

are being made.

Coordination with other agencies is a primary issue that should be considered both in developing and implementing an ITS 

work zone. This will be important for determining how the system can work within each agency’s existing procedures.

Utah DOT traffic operations personnel were incorporated early in the project planning process and strived to be proactive in 

addressing the various mobility concerns that could develop. During the planning process, it became apparent that it would 

be extremely beneficial to upgrade the arterial signal systems in Provo and Orem to become compatible with the Utah DOT 

centralized signal system. Utah DOT approached the cities of Provo and Orem and established cooperative agreements to 

convert their systems to the statewide signal control system in order to better manage travel on the arterial streets adjacent to 

the freeway. 

Example: I-15 CORE Project in Utah. 

Tip: Stakeholder agencies, besides the deploying agency, need to be involved early.
12 ASSESSMENT OF NEEDS WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

1.4 Who should be on the project team?

The next step is to assemble the project team. 

The project team is the actual working group 

whose members are drawn from the stakeholder 

organizations identified in the previous step. It is 

recommended that the number of people on this team 

be small because this team will be conceptualizing 

and planning the project. While it is important to 

involve a wide range of stakeholders from the very 

beginning of the project, it is also important to keep 

working groups small so that these groups can 

actually get things done. Thus, not all stakeholders will 

have a representative on the project team. Instead, 

the project team will be responsible for interfacing with 

stakeholders that are not on the project team to keep 

them informed and receive their input. In addition, it 

is also important not to expect that all stakeholders 

will be fully “sold” on the project at first. Instead, the 

lead agency must have patience with “non-believers,” 

allowing them time to develop trust in the system, as 

well as trust in other groups involved in the project.

 

1.5 What, if any, existing ITS resources 

are available?

Taking an inventory of existing ITS resources in the 

corridor or region that can be applied to help manage 

the work zone can help to control system acquisition 

and deployment costs For example, there may be 

a permanent traffic detector within or adjacent to 

the work zone that can provide archived or real-time 

data to help predict and/or monitor traffic conditions 

leading up to and throughout the work zone. There may 

be permanent CMS upstream of the work zone that can 

display warnings of stopped or slow traffic ahead or 

encourage diversion to alternate routes, as presented 

in Figure 7. Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras 

in the area might also be particularly useful for helping 

to monitor traffic and check for incidents. Any road 

weather information systems (RWIS)/environmental 

sensor stations (ESS) in the area can help determine 

current weather and road conditions that will affect 

traffic flow. Additionally, the availability of a local traffic 

management center (TMC) can be very beneficial, 

as staff could operate ITS for the work zone. An 

existing traveler information website for the agency or 

geographic area can be used to provide updates on 

work zone conditions to the public. 

The maintaining agency for these resources can explain 

the availability of ITS resources for use. For example, 

CMS may be needed for emergency messages, or it 

may not be preferred that a message is displayed for 

all hours due to concerns of burning out the lighting 

mechanisms and long term maintenance costs. 

Discussions about stakeholders concerns may result 

in some creative solutions, such as agreement to place 

messages on during peak hours of travel.

If existing ITS resources are available and are planned 

to be used for work zone management purposes, care 

must be taken to ensure that the resources themselves 

will remain operational over the duration of the project 

Figure 7. Existing ITS resources can be used to help manage the work zone and reduce costs.

Colorado DOT
WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE ASSESSMENT OF NEEDS 13

•	I-15 CORE Project in Utah. When Utah DOT officials determined that I-15 needed to be widened through the cities of Orem

and Provo, they enlisted the regional ITS center in Salt Lake City to assist in managing traffic during construction. A number 

of value-added items were proposed by the winning design-build (DB) team that centered around the enhancement of the 

existing system. System officials worked closely with the DB team and with Utah DOT project officials to coordinate the 

purchase, implementation, and integration of technology at critical locations to help mitigate project impacts. In addition, 

system officials identified other components that were needed in the region to help support traffic management during 

construction, and that could also be useful additions to the system once construction was complete. These components 

were procured and installed in time to be useful for the construction project.

•	Las Vegas. The Freeway and Arterial System for Transportation (FAST) is a transportation management system in Las

Vegas. FAST operators have a fairly wide range of tools at their disposal to help address construction and maintenance 

activity-related impacts. FAST provides a convenient dissemination outlet of both advance notification and real-time 

roadwork-related traffic information via the roadside CMS and its website. FAST operators are trained to both identify the 

need for CMS messages and to properly design and post them. For certain roadwork activities, FAST operators may also 

make signal timing changes to support use of arterials as detour routes if either the freeway or another arterial is affected by 

•	 Plan with the end in mind. Start with identifying work zone issues and user needs, and what the goals are for the work

zone. Then consider possible solutions/strategies, including ITS, that can address those needs.

•	 Use a coordinated approach. Consider work zone issues, needs, and possible mitigation strategies in the context of 		

overall impacts assessment and TMP development for the work zone to most effectively address issues and use 

resources.

•	 The main product of Step 1 is a preliminary framework of user needs, goals and objectives, and existing ITS resources in

the area around which ITS or some other solution for the work zone can be developed. These outputs will be used in Step 

2 for the development of a concept of operations. 

•	 Additionally, stakeholders and a project team have been identified in Step 1, who will respectively provide periodic 	 	

feedback and more direct input to the project moving forward.

and access to the systems and data is readily 

available. The need to temporarily disconnect power 

or communication lines in the work zone may render 

permanent ITS devices near the work zone inoperable 

or inaccessible, or they may even be removed if they 

are directly in the work area. Construction equipment 

or vehicles have the potential to block sensors or 

cameras unexpectedly and repeatedly. To avoid 

such issues, some agencies include requirements 

in the bid documents that permanent ITS devices be 

maintained in an operational state throughout the 

duration of the project. Agencies may also include 

disincentive clauses in a contract that are applied if 

the ITS equipment does not work during peak hours. 

Functionality of ITS equipment is particularly important 

in congested areas where the television, radio, and/

or social media traffic updates rely on information from 

the ITS equipment.

In some cases, it may be desirable to mesh or replace 

available ITS resources with additional temporary 

devices obtained specifically for a particular work 

zone. An example of this might be the purchase and 

installation of portable traffic sensors, cameras, and 

CMS within and near a work zone on a facility that is 

not currently covered in a regional ITS, and having the 

operators within the TMC monitor and manage those 

temporary devices in addition to the permanent ITS 

components they normally operate. In such instances, it 

is important to bring the key decision-making personnel 

from the center in early in the planning process to help 

identify needs and issues. The center may need to 

increase staff to handle the increased workload, for 

example, and need financial support through the project 

budget to do so. There will likely be specifications as 

to how temporary devices must be configured and 

operated (i.e., National Transportation Communications 

for ITS Protocol (NTCIP)-compliant cameras) in order to 

integrate data feeds into the operator consoles.

Example: Use of Permanent ITS Infrastructure during Construction. 

Key Takeaways 
14 ASSESSMENT OF NEEDS WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE
WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT AND FEASIBILITY 15

STEP 2

CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT 

AND FEASIBILITY

This section describes key activities or considerations that should be addressed in Step 2 of the implementation 

process, in which a system concept for the ITS deployment is developed. The sub-steps that will be explored in Step 

2 are depicted in Figure 8.

2.1 What is the overall work zone ITS 

concept of operations?

The development of a work zone ITS concept of 

operations should take place in the early stages of the 

planning process. It should answer the question, how 

does the agency envision that the system will operate 

within the work zone? A concept of operations includes 

user needs and objectives that were developed in Step 

1, as well as justification for and description of the 

proposed system, operational policies and constraints 

that will govern how the system is deployed, and 

scenarios describing how the system will function. 

Developing a concept of operations helps ensure the 

agency has thought through what it needs out of the 

system, which generally leads to a more successful 

work zone ITS deployment. Figure 9 shows the general 

outline of a formal concept of operations document 

based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics 

Engineers (IEEE) 1362-1998 standard document. For a 

small work zone ITS deployment, the developed concept 

of operations document may be significantly scaled 

back, as seen in a concept of operations developed for a 

Minnesota DOT work zone ITS deployment.10 

Even though a concept of operations starts to formalize 

the type of system that is envisioned, it is important to 

note that this document is solution-agnostic, describing 

how the system will operate but not prescribing the 

technology components to be installed. For example, a 

concept of operations should not dictate whether radar or 

video detection should be used, even if in some situations 

there may be only one viable alternative that exists.

Figure 8. Sub-steps to be explored in Step 2.

10 Document can be found at: http://www.dot.state.mn.us/guidestar/2006_2010/icone/iconeconceptofops.pdf

Source: Battelle

How can buy-in 

be obtained from 

internal and external stakeholders 

and other 

agencies?

2.8

How 

can project 

feasibility 

be established?

2.7

Addressing 

legal 

and policy 

issues

2.6

What are 

potential 

institutional

and jurisdictional challenges?

2.5

How 

much 

will an 

ITS 

deployment 

2.4

What are 

potential 

benefits 

of an ITS 

deployment?

2.3

What is the 

overall work 

zone ITS 

concept of 

operations?

What 

ITS 

solutions are 

available?

2.1 2.2

02
16 CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT AND FEASIBILITY WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

1. SCOPE

1.1 Identification

1.2 Document Overview

1.3 System Overview

2. REFERENCED DOCUMENTS

3. CURRENT SYSTEM OR SITUATION

3.1 Background, Objectives, and Scope

3.2 Operational Policies and Constraints

3.3 Description of the Current System or Situation

3.4 Modes of Operation for the Current System or Situation

3.5 User Classes and Other Involved Personnel

3.6 Support Environment

4. JUSTIFICATION FOR AND NATURE OF CHANGES

4.1 Justification for Changes

4.2 Description of Desired Changes

4.3 Priorities among changes

4.4 Changes Considered but not Included

4.5 Assumptions and Constraints

5. CONCEPTS FOR THE PROPOSED SYSTEM

5.1 Background, Objectives, and Scope

5.2 Operational Policies and Constraints

5.3 Descriptions of the Proposed System

5.4 Modes of Operation

5.5 User Classes and other Involved Personnel

5.6 Support Environment

6. OPERATIONAL SCENARIOS

7. SUMMARY OF IMPACTS

7.1 Operational Impacts

7.2 Organizational Impacts

7.3 Impacts During Development

8. ANALYSIS OF THE PROPOSED SYSTEM

8.1 Summary of Improvements

8.2 Disadvantages and Limitations

8.3 Alternatives and Trade-offs Considered

9. NOTES

9.1 Acronyms and Abbreviations

9.2 Terms and Definitions

Figure 9. General outline showing the sections of a formal concept of operations

document based on the IEEE 1362-1998 standard. 
WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE CONCEPT DEVELPMENT AND FEASIBILITY 17

The concept of operations should clearly describe 

all activities associated with operation of the system, 

from the data flows between system components to 

information flows between the agency and the public. 

Creation of data flow diagrams, information flow 

diagrams, and communication charts can be valuable in 

helping agency staff define how the system will ultimately 

operate, as well as in guiding decisions affecting the 

overall strategy for the system. An example graphic 

that could be used to help staff visualize the layout of 

the ITS deployment is shown in Figure 10. Potential 

strategies can vary from simple automated systems that 

provide traveler information upstream of the work zone to 

systems that serve as virtual TMCs.

Figure 10. High-level sketch for the concept of operations of a work zone ITS deployment in 

Utah. Source: Utah DOT.

Agency staff should clearly describe the operational 

system strategy at the outset of the project, with 

particular attention to how this strategy will fit within their 

overall construction project. In addition, the concept 

of operations for the ITS deployment should make 

sense in the context of the existing roadway network. 

For example, if CMS will be used to provide messages 

about delay or stopped traffic ahead, it would make 

sense to place the signs prior to exits to alternative 

routes. The concept of operations can be a working 

document during planning stages, and can be updated 

as needs change and system functionality is considered. 

The concept of operations can also include multiple 

subsystems, e.g., a queue warning system, incident 

detection system, and VSL system.
18 CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT AND FEASIBILITY WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

2.2 What ITS solutions are available?

ITS technology is one tool that can be used by agencies 

and contractors to address a wide range of concerns or 

needs in a work zone. Systems can vary widely based 

on concerns being addressed. They also vary in scale. 

Not all ITS deployments are complicated and expensive.

ITS can take many forms in work zone applications. 

In general terms, these systems are comprised of 

components in the field, communications links, a TMC, 

and/or archived data. The National ITS Architecture 

provides a framework for planning, designing, and 

integrating ITS components.11 Additionally, permanent 

ITS applications may already be in place in part of the 

work zone area, and may be useful as components for 

work zone ITS. More specifically, systems include one 

or more of the following components, which are detailed 

in Table 3:

•	Sensors that collect data on current traffic conditions

• Communications equipment to transfer the data or

information developed from that data

•	Software that processes and analyzes the collected

data, as well as available supplemental (e.g., 

weather data or traffic data from alternate routes) and 

archived data (e.g., historic traffic data), converting it 

to information for use by other components or by 

various end users

•	Electronic equipment to disseminate the information

to the end users or to implement traffic control 

or management decisions that were based on that 

information.

These systems are available in a variety of configurations. 

These configurations can impact the procurement 

options that are available to an agency, which will be 

discussed in more detail in Step 4 of the document. In 

general, the three main categories of ITS are:

•	Stand-alone, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) 	 	

products to serve specific functions (i.e., smart work 

zone systems that can perform queue warning, travel 

time and delay information dissemination, dynamic late

or early merge warnings at lane closures, etc.); 

11 For more information about the National ITS Architecture, see Appendix A, and http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/its_arch_imp

ITS Component Types

Sensors •	 Spot speed/volume/occupancy sensors

•	 Cameras (manual visual monitoring and automated video detection)

•	 Point-to-point travel time sensors (automated vehicle identification, or AVI; radio frequency 

identification, or RFID; automatic vehicle location, or AVL; Bluetooth; cellular telephone tracking)

•	 Emissions sensors

•	 RWIS/ESS

•	 Vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I)

Communications 

Systems

•	 Cellular

•	 Wireless (Wi-Fi), private or public

•	 Satellite communications

•	 Dedicated short range communications (DSRC)

Software and 

Electronic Equipment 

•	 Portable CMS (PCMS)

•	 Dynamic Signs

•	 Specialized signs (e.g., variable speed limit operations)

•	 Highway Advisory Radio (HAR)

•	 Websites

•	 Smart phone/tablet applications

•	 Social Media

•	 Text Alerts

Table 3. ITS components.

Source: Battelle

For example, an additional temporary traffic sensor or two may be all that is needed to expand or enhance an existing 

permanent ITS deployment to be an effective tool for managing traffic impacts at a particular work zone. This was the 

approach taken during the I-15 CORE project in central Utah.

! Key point: Not all ITS deployments are complicated and expensive.
WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT AND FEASIBILITY 19

•	The Michigan Department of Transportation deployed

ITS during a total closure of I-496 in downtown Lansing. 

This $2 million system used 17 cameras and six queue 

detectors to gather and process data on current 

conditions, and 12 CMS to display advance traveler 

information to the public to help alleviate traffic 

congestion resulting from the full closure of a major 

freeway.

•	The New Mexico Department of Transportation deployed

ITS during the reconstruction of the I-40 and I-25 “Big I” 

interchange in Albuquerque. The $1.5 million system 

used eight cameras, eight modular CMS; four arrow 

dynamic signs; four all-light emitting diode (LED) 

portable CMS trailers; four portable traffic management 

systems, which integrate cameras and CMS on one fully 

portable unit; and four HAR units, all linked electronically 

to the temporary Big I TMC to better manage incidents 

during the project.

•	Customized work zone ITS solutions that are specially

designed to meet a precise traffic management 

need, such as the deployment of temporary sensors 

or temporary ramp metering devices at selected 

problem locations to be integrated into and operated 

using an existing TMC. This type of system may 

require additional services, such as system design 

support and software development and integration; 

•	Services or data only (no equipment) that provides

the agency with information to monitor, manage, and/

or measure the performance of traffic within and 

around the work zone. The agency makes use 

of what others have already deployed and does 

not need to procure equipment to obtain the data. 

The FHWA Work Zone Mobility and Safety Program 

provides numerous case studies and resources 

available to help transportation professionals familiarize 

themselves with the current state of the practice on ITS 

in work zones.12 Topics include the benefits of using 

ITS in work zones, automated work zone information 

systems, traffic management systems including dynamic 

lane merge systems and speed management systems, 

PCMS, and work zone ITS deployment examples.

12Available at: http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/its. 

13Available at: http://www.trb.org. .

14Available at: http://www.transportation.org. For information specific to work zone ITS, see: http://ssom.transportation.org/Pages/ITSinWorkZones.aspx

15Available at: http://www.atssa.com. 

Example: Current strategies and how they can 

be used.

Work zone ITS applications are continuously evolving 

to better address issues. The Transportation Research 

Board (TRB),13 American Association of State Highway 

and Transportation Officials (AASHTO),14 and American 

Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA)15 have 

committees and conference sessions that focus 

on work zone operations. These serve as forums 

for practitioners to share information on the latest 

applications and emerging technologies.

Additionally, emerging connected vehicle technologies 

that incorporate V2V and V2I communications will 

present major opportunities for communications 

and data gathering for work zone systems. Portable 

information devices such as smartphones and tablets 

provide increased opportunities for information 

dissemination by agencies, but must be used carefully 

because of the safety concerns associated with 

distracted driving.

Communications are a critical component of ITS. Table 

4 summarizes the different communication systems that 

have been used and some key considerations for each 

communication option.

A factor to be considered is how various communication 

options are affected by physical features of the work 

zone, such as terrain, foliage, number and size of 

buildings in the area, and other wireless networks in use 

nearby. Wireless systems may not perform as well due 

to interruptions in the line of sight.

Two groups of professionals may be helpful to an ITS 

project manager when dealing with communications 

issues: state DOT maintenance personnel, and 

local radio contractors. Public agency maintenance 

personnel responsible for other communications 

systems used by the state can provide valuable 

assistance. Typically, these other communication 

systems are installed in the field and must meet high 

performance standards similar to what the ITS work 

zone system will require. This consideration is even 

more important in rural areas, where communication 

options become more limited due to lack of key 

infrastructure.

The FCC has identified unlicensed bands in the 2.4 

GHz range that are suitable for supporting a variety 

of data and voice communications. The availability 

of unlicensed communications has stimulated many 
20 CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT AND FEASIBILITY WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

communications vendors to produce the necessary 

equipment. As such, the costs for implementing 

such connectivity have been reduced dramatically. 

The Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure 

(UNII) band does not require licensing, and many 

communications products operate on this band.

For ITS, determining the appropriate type of 

communication is key. Depending on the type of 

contracting arrangement (if any), it may be up to the 

contractor to select types of communications equipment 

that satisfy the requirements and specifications. 

Specifications can be written to allow for a desired 

equipment model or brand to be used, if the agency 

has a particular piece of equipment in mind (e.g., 

satellite communications for areas where cellular 

communications do not exist, such as mountainous 

areas).

The communications network for an ITS application 

is vital to the operation of the system and must be 

reliable. Issues that may impact communications need 

to be addressed early in the system development and 

deployment process. What may seem like a trivial issue at 

the outset may evolve into a more difficult problem when 

deploying or operating the system. Such issues include 

whether adequate cellular capacity is available and 

whether there are obstructions to signal transmission due 

to geography or terrain.

Tip: Systems need to have reliable 

communications. 

Advantages Disadvantages Comments

Cellular 

(commercial 

wireless)

•	 Good in areas lacking landline 

systems

•	 Common system interfaces 

available

•	 Coverage may be limited, especially in rural areas 

away from major traffic corridors

•	 Commercial system that may be “oversold” and 

subject to availability of signal

•	 System is sensitive to terrain and time of year if 

deployed in areas with heavy foliage

When using wireless 

Internet, the agency needs 

to ensure that system 

Internet protocol (IP) 

address has high enough 

priority, so that information 

flows through the network 

as quickly as possible.

Private Wi-Fi 

networks

•	 Inexpensive for localized 

communications between devices

•	 Wide area coverage is possible 

but more costly

•	 Not dependent on commercial 

cellular service

•	 Lengthy license application may be required

•	 Intermodulation studies may be required

•	 Terrain may affect coverage 

•	 Additional infrastructure such as antenna towers 

may be needed for longer-range communications

•	 Frequency availability may be limited

Satellite 

System

•	 Good for areas lacking landline 

systems or cellular coverage that 

require internet access or longrange communications

•	 Not dependent on location or 

terrain for strength of signal (urban 

or rural)

•	 Commercial system may be “oversold” and subject 

to availability of signal

•	 Cost may be higher relative to other systems

•	 Signal strength may fade during severe weather and 

heavy rain

Compare the different 

options to see which 

system provides the 

best fit based on project 

needs.

High 

frequency 

radio

•	 Wide area coverage

•	 Good in areas lacking landline 

systems

•	 Not dependent on commercial 

cellular service

•	 Inexpensive

•	 Lengthy license application may be required

•	 Intermodulation studies may be required

•	 Terrain may affect coverage depending on frequency 

available

•	 Additional infrastructure, such as antenna towers, 

may be needed

•	 Frequency availability may be limited

•	 Others may illegally use the same frequency causing 

the message to be “jumbled” or “walked on” 

Highway advisory radio 

systems use cellular due 

to issues with availability 

of Federal Communication 

Commission (FCC) 

license.

Table 4. Communication options, advantages, and disadvantages.

Source: Battelle
WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT AND FEASIBILITY 21

2.3 What are the potential benefits of an 

ITS deployment?

As indicated previously, benefits of ITS in work zones are 

realized by the public, businesses, the contractor, and 

by the agency. Benefit impact areas associated with 

the use of ITS in work zones can include safety, mobility, 

improved work productivity and durability, and customer 

satisfaction. Table 5 provides a summary of benefits that 

have been experienced for various work zone ITS.

2.4 How much will an ITS deployment 

cost?

Developing general cost estimates for various 

alternatives can be extremely useful in developing a 

plan for a realistic system. A first step is to examine the 

cost of similar systems deployed elsewhere in the state 

or in neighboring States. It is also beneficial to develop 

early cost estimates for the deployment options. If there 

are no other systems available for comparison in one’s 

own state or nearby, the next step is to examine similar 

systems deployed in other locations in the U.S. and 

even worldwide. These cost comparisons are made 

more difficult by factors that may differ between regions, 

such as labor rates and availability of certain types of 

communications.

The cost of ITS in work zones can vary widely and 

is influenced by the scope of the overall work zone, 

procurement method, the type of system, and system 

goals:

•	Scope of the overall work zone – The relative cost of 

ITS seems to be largely dependent on the scope of the 

overall work zone, such that the portion of the cost due 

to the ITS may be smaller in larger work zones and 

vice versa.

•	Procurement Method – The cost of the work zone ITS 

can be very different for a system that is leased versus 

one that is purchased, or even a data purchase. 

•	Type of system – A more labor-intensive, complex, 

and specialized system is likely to be more expensive 

than a more standard work zone ITS deployment.

•	System goals – Although sometimes agencies will 

develop a general plan and then inquire about the 

costs associated with implementing the plan, an 

Work Zone ITS Issue(s) being Addressed States with Studies of 

Example Deployments1 Example of Benefits

Real-time Traveler 

Information 

•	 Congestion

•	 Delay

•	 Safety

CA, DC, NE, OR 16-19% reduced traffic volumes (diversion) 

on affected route (CA)

Queue Warning •	 Safety (crashes) IL Significantly reduced speed variance; 

reduced vehicle conflicts; queuing crashes 

reduced 14% despite an increase in both 

lane closures and vehicle exposure. 

Dynamic Lane Merge 

(early merge, late merge)

•	 Delay

•	 Aggressive driving behavior

•	 Travel speed

•	 Safety

•	 Queue length

FL, MI, MN Reduced forced and dangerous merges by 

factors of 7 and 3, respectively (MI)

Incident Management •	 Incident clearance time

•	 Delay

NM Reduced average time to respond and 

clear incident from 45 minutes to 25 

minutes (NM)

Variable Speed Limits 

(VSL)

•	 Speed management 

•	 Safety

VA, UT Greater speed compliance vs. static signs; 

reduced average speed and variation (UT)

Automated Enforcement •	 Speed management MD, IA, IL, OR Significantly reduced speeds by 3-8 mph 

(IL)

Entering/Exiting Vehicle 

Notification

•	 Safety MN, PA Signs warn drivers of a slow-moving 

construction or emergency vehicle entering 

or exiting the roadway to reduce crash risk.

Table 5. Examples of benefits for various work zone ITS.

1

Additional information on these case studies can be found at: http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/its. Source: Battelle
2.5 What are potential institutional and 

jurisdictional challenges?

Institutional and jurisdictional challenges are often more 

difficult to overcome than the technical issues associated 

with technology deployment. Typical institutional or 

jurisdictional challenges for deploying an ITS application 

in a work zone include:

•	Lack of adequate funding provided in the construction

contract

•	Lack of staff expertise in work zone ITS design, 	 	

deployment, or operations

•	Effects of delays or traffic diversion on other routes or

neighboring jurisdictions

•	Coordinating operations and incident response 		

between agencies during incidents within the work 

zone

•	Issues relating to command and control of existing ITS

assets, when using existing ITS infrastructure for work 

zones

•	Potential duplication of roles already performed by

different departments

•	Changing long standing operational procedures

•	Increased or new maintenance requirements

•	Convincing management to try something new

•	Acknowledging and quantifying end user benefits for

justification of work zone ITS

•	Assuring acceptable system performance.

The best means of identifying and mitigating many of 

these challenges is to be as inclusive as possible during 

the development of system objectives and the overall 

system strategy. Discussions with all key stakeholders 

can help to identify potential issues at the earliest stage 

of the system development process. This is especially 

important when planning ITS to be used in work zones 

near jurisdictional boundaries. Agencies in the adjacent 

jurisdiction should be contacted at the earliest possible 

point in the project planning stage. Furthermore, these 

initial contacts should take advantage of any existing 

inter-agency relationships. By engaging stakeholders 

early to identify possible issues, time is more likely to 

be available to make any necessary adjustments in 

staffing, policies, or resources prior to the work zone 

ITS deployment. These discussions can lead the way 

to not only avoiding problems during the duration of the 

work zone, but can also lead to long-term coordination 

between jurisdictions on a wide variety of other issues.

22 CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT AND FEASIBILITY WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

agency will be better able to develop an estimate if it 

has clearly defined its system goals and objectives 

and the concept of operations.

These factors can cause the cost of work zone ITS to 

range from several thousand dollars to several million 

dollars. As a rough estimate, purchasing a few sensors 

to add to an existing TMC might cost about $5,000 plus 

an additional $5,000-$10,000 for integrating them with 

the existing system. Purchasing a larger system that 

includes four sensors, a PCMS, and some operations 

support for communications and data software for a 

simple queue warning system might cost about $125,000, 

while doubling this to a system with eight sensors and two 

PCMS might increase the costs to about $200,000.

There are several ways an agency may achieve potential 

cost savings. As already discussed, any existing ITS 

infrastructure and resources can be used to help manage 

work zone conditions, reducing the need for some 

temporary resources. During a work zone project, some 

agencies choose to accelerate deployment and use of 

ITS components intended for a future permanent system. 

In both of these cases, the permanent ITS is not an 

additional cost for the work zone project, other than any 

additional capabilities that may be used for work zone 

management. Finally, the modularity of the work zone 

ITS can be assessed to separate “wants” from “needs” 

to accomplish system goals and objectives. Identifying 

essential ITS elements in the system up front can help 

to avoid excessive cuts that compromise the value of a 

system just to save money.

Several tools are available to help agencies develop an 

accurate estimate of ITS alternatives. The ITS Benefits 

and Unit Costs Database16 contains unit cost estimates for 

over 200 ITS technologies. In addition, ITS Deployment 

Analysis System (IDAS) is a software tool that estimates 

the costs and benefits of ITS investments.17 Finally, 

FHWA’s “Operations Benefit/Cost Analysis Desk 

Reference” might serve as useful guidance to agencies.18

Note that early project estimates are often insufficient to 

cover work zone ITS needs, and the funding amount is 

difficult to change by the time those who would identify a 

need for work zone ITS are involved in a proposed project. 

This re-emphasizes the need to engage stakeholders 

early, including staff that handle permanent ITS within 

the transportation agency, and to conduct work zone 

ITS deployment considerations with the context of TMP 

development so they are included in traffic management 

cost estimates.

16Available at: http://www.benefitcost.its.dot.gov. 

17More information about IDAS can be found at: http://idas.camsys.com. IDAS is available for purchase from the 

 McTrans Center for Microcomputers in Transportation at the University of Florida at: http://mctrans.ce.ufl.edu.

18Available at: http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop12028.
WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT AND FEASIBILITY 23

For many agencies, a major barrier to the deployment of 

ITS in work zones is the reluctance to try something new. 

This could stem in part from a lack of staff expertise. 

Information is available on different types of systems 

and potential benefits to help educate decision-makers 

and practitioners to overcome this barrier. Peers at 

other agencies may be useful resources. The FHWA 

Peer-to-Peer Program for Work Zones can provide 

peer connections, and conducted a work zone ITS 

peer exchange in May 2013 that provided valuable 

information exchange amongst peers.19 The deploying 

agency should seek multiple resources to gain a fuller 

understanding of any unfamiliar system. One barrier 

to ITS use can be that DOT staff with ITS expertise are 

in a different department from those doing road design 

and construction, and those two groups often do not 

interact regularly. Sharing expertise between those who 

know ITS and those who know work zones can increase 

the chances for an effective ITS procurement and 

deployment. In some cases, it may be desirable to hire 

staff that have more expertise and familiarity with work 

zone ITS for this and future deployments.

2.6 Addressing legal and policy issues

A number of legal issues must be considered in planning 

to use ITS in work zones. The most obvious question is 

whether the type of system being designed is permitted 

in the current laws and regulations. For example, if the 

agency desires to use automated enforcement as part 

of a VSL deployment, it is important to know whether 

automated enforcement legislation is in place in that 

jurisdiction. Other legal issues to be considered include 

the potential increased liability for placing ITS equipment 

in the work zone and archiving of certain data collected 

by ITS components. For example, some agencies 

have discovered legal implications related to collecting 

and storing video images of crashes. Additionally, the 

agency should consider possible liability issues about 

how warnings and messages are given (e.g., if the 

ITS fails to detect a queue and issue the appropriate 

warning, has liability been increased?). In considering 

these issues, the agency should also consider the 

overall benefits of having a system and any work zone 

risks (e.g., for crashes) it may help mitigate as well.

2.7 How can project feasibility be 

established?

Based on the steps outlined above, key stakeholders 

should assess the overall feasibility of the original 

approach and the need to revisit overall objectives for 

the system. For example, objectives for the system 

may simply be outside the available budget, in which 

case objectives might be constrained. Another key 

consideration in assessing project feasibility is whether 

ITS is the best TMP strategy to deploy to address the 

identified needs, or if other non-ITS options may be 

better for the given situation.

Assessing project feasibility is especially important when 

planning work zone applications that involve more risk, 

such as larger deployments that involve more cost or 

deployments that may involve sensitivities. Examples 

of these types of deployments may include automated 

speed enforcement (in this case, due to higher political 

risk) or route diversion from highways to local roads. 

Such applications are more likely to draw additional 

scrutiny, encounter additional challenges, and may incur 

higher costs that should be considered when assessing 

project feasibility.

19For more information, including the materials from the work zone ITS peer exchange, see: http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/p2p/index.htm.

Several states, including Illinois, Maryland, Washington, 

and Oregon, allow the use of automated speed 

enforcement in work zones. Each of these states has 

required enabling legislation before deployment of these 

systems. As an example, the legislation for Washington 

state* includes:

•	Restrictions on the locations where automated speed 	

enforcement would be allowed

•	Specified only images of the vehicle and vehicle license

plate were allowed

•	Requires the automated speed enforcement zone be 		

clearly marked

•	Specifies the method for notifying registered vehicle 	 	

owner and vehicle owner responsibilities

*See Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1175 of the 62nd Legislature, 2011 Regular 

Session for Washington: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2011-12/Pdf/Bills/

House%20Passed%20Legislature/1175-S.PL.pdf

Example: Automated Speed Enforcement 

in work zones.
24 CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT AND FEASIBILITY WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

In addition to the project manager, key stakeholders that 

should participate in this step include senior agency 

managers, contracts personnel, and engineering staff. 

Senior managers are needed because they may have 

originally defined the operating strategy that may have 

to be revised, and because they can provide accurate 

information on the availability of funding and other key 

resources. Contracts personnel can identify various 

contracting options available, as well as discuss 

advantages and disadvantages of each of these 

options. Engineering staff may be needed if questions 

arise regarding the feasibility of the project schedule or 

technical approach. In some cases, it may be helpful 

to have engineering staff perform modeling to help 

establish the need for a system and to assess how likely 

impact mitigation is to occur in the event that a system 

is deployed. For example, modeling of the work zone 

may show long queues that become manageable if 10 

percent of traffic diverts, which may be achievable with 

real-time traveler information provided by ITS.

Numerous sets of criteria have been developed and 

could be used to establish project feasibility. Some 

criteria, such as those developed by Michigan DOT, 

are specific to various ITS, e.g., dynamic lane merge 

system, real-time information system, and PCMS 

with radar capabilities. Similarly, criteria have been 

developed for advanced traveler information systems 

under the Smart Work Zone Deployment Initiative.20 

These criteria consider factors such as queue lengths, 

average daily traffic (ADT) and peak period traffic 

volumes, availability of alternate routes, and sight 

distances. North Carolina DOT developed criteria for 

use of an ITS-based SMARTZONE system in work zones 

based on whether the location is urban/suburban, rural, 

or mountainous.

FHWA drafted a general set of scoring criteria that 

agencies can tailor as desired for their use as one 

possible way to assess the feasibility for ITS (see 

Table 6). The intent for these criteria was to assist 

decision makers by providing a structured approach 

to considering the need for work zone ITS on specific 

projects. For each result, other mitigation treatments 

should be considered, as applicable, in addition to 

work zone ITS since ITS is only one possible solution for 

stakeholders to use to address a given issue in a work 

zone and may not be the best alternative.

Table 7 presents another possible way to consider 

when to use work zone ITS. It can be used as a general 

application guide to assess the characteristics and 

conditions existing or anticipated in a given work zone 

that would help justify implementation of one or more of 

the systems. 

Table 7 attempts to illustrate how some of these 

applications may be designed to address certain 

conditions, but could also address other conditions 

through some modifications to the typical deployments 

or the introduction of a human operator who could make 

real-time adjustments in how the systems respond. 

Similarly, some work zone issues could be addressed 

through more than one type of system. As an example, 

a real-time traveler information system could address 

work zone conditions where unexpected or variable 

periods of travel delays and congestion will arise, and 

there is potential to encourage route, departure, and 

mode choice diversions through the provision of realtime information. However, these same conditions 

could also be addressed through implementation of a 

work zone incident management system. Whereas a 

typical work zone traveler information system will operate 

autonomously based on a limited set of rules, the 

incident management system would rely on an operator 

present to monitor and detect incidents to also modify 

the information dissemination devices if needed to 

encourage diversion.

An ITS application may not be appropriate for every work 

zone nor be the best solution for a given issue. Other 

alternatives should also be examined. The expected 

project location, project impacts, and project duration 

are likely to influence whether or not a particular ITS 

solution merits consideration. Other factors like traffic 

volumes and project layout will also influence whether or 

not work zone ITS are applicable for a particular project. 

For example, if the concern is potential congestion in 

a work zone, one solution can be to use ITS to monitor 

traffic conditions and provide traveler information. Some 

other possible mitigation strategy alternatives to using 

ITS are a public information campaign to reduce travel 

demand in the area; maintaining more lanes by using 

the shoulder to carry traffic; conducting work at night 

when traffic volumes are generally lower; including 

lane closure restrictions in the contract to affect less 

traffic and minimize impacts; a motorist assist patrol to 

quickly identify and address vehicle breakdowns and 

other incidents; or using a movable barrier to provide an 

additional lane for peak period traffic flow. 

20See “Criteria for Portable ATIS in Work Zones” by Alan J. Horowitz at: http://ssom.transportation.org/Documents/2005_horowitz_atis_criteria.pdf
WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT AND FEASIBILITY 25

Criteria Score

Factor 1 – Duration of work zone: Long-term stationary work will have a duration of:

•	 >1 construction season (10 points)

•	 4-10 months (6 points)

•	 <4 months; procurement and installation timeline is available prior to work starting (3 points)

Factor 2 – Impact to traffic, businesses, other destinations, or other users (e.g., extremely long delays, 

high risk of speed variability, access issues) for the duration of work is expected to be:

•	 Significant (10 points)

•	 Moderate (6 points)

•	 Minimal (3 points)

Factor 3 – Queuing and Delay: Queue lengths are estimated to be:

•	 ≥2 miles for periods ≥2 hours per day (8 to 10 points)

•	 1-2 miles for periods of 1-2 hours per day (6 to 8 points)

•	 ≤1 mile, or queue length estimates are not available but pre-construction, recurring congestion

 exists for periods <1 hour per day (4 points)

Factor 4 – Temporal Aspects of Traffic Impacts: Expected traffic impacts are:

•	 Unreasonable for a time period that covers more than just peak hours (10 points)

•	 Unreasonable during most of both morning and afternoon peak hours in either direction 

 (6 points)

•	 Unreasonable during most of a peak hour in either direction (3 points)

•	 Unpredictable; highly variable traffic volumes (1 point)

Factor 5 – Specific Issues Expected (0 to 3 points each based on judgment)

•	 Traffic Speed Variability 

•	 Back of Queue and Other Sight Distance Issues

•	 High Speeds/Chronic Speeding 

•	 Work Zone Congestion

•	 Availability of Alternate Routes

•	 Merging Conflicts and Hazards At Work Zone Tapers 

•	 Work Zone Hazards/Complex Traffic Control Layout

•	 Frequently Changing Operating Conditions for Traffic

•	 Variable Work Activities (That May Benefit From Using Variable Speed Limits)

•	 Oversize Vehicles (Percent Heavy Vehicles >10%)

•	 Construction Vehicle Entry/Exit Speed Differential Relative to Traffic

•	 Data Collection for Work Zone Performance Measures

•	 Unusual or Unpredictable Weather Patterns Such as Snow, Ice, and Fog

Total Score

If the total score is:

•	 ≥30 – ITS is likely to provide significant benefits relative to costs for procurement

•	 ≥10 and <30 – ITS may provide some benefits and should be considered as a treatment to mitigate impacts

•	 <10 – ITS may not provide enough benefit as a treatment to justify the associated costs

Table 6. Example set of scoring criteria to establish feasibility of work zone ITS. (Source: FHWA)21

21This is not the only way or criteria that could be used. Agencies can tailor this to their needs or use their own criteria.
Critical Project Characteristics

Work Zone ITS Applications

Queue warningReal-time traveler informationIncident managementDynamic lane mergeVariable speed limitAutomated enforcement*Construction vehicle entrance and exit warningTemporary ramp meteringPerformance measurement

Frequent planned lane closures are expected, which will create queues that cause high 

speed differentials between queued and approaching traffic    

Emergency shoulders will be closed through the work zone and frequent stalls and 

fender-benders are expected to occur that will cause queues because they cannot be 

quickly moved to the shoulder

  

Travel times and delays through the work zone will be highly variable and real-time information can improve pre-trip and real-time route choice, departure time, and possibly 

mode choice decisions

 

Roadway access for emergency response vehicles will be significantly constrained by 

the project, increasing response and clearance times 

Frequent incidents are expected to occur within the project   

Having an operator able to view an incident within the project and assist responders in 

bringing appropriate equipment to the site will significantly reduce incident duration 

A long-term lane closure will create a v/c condition that is very close to 1.0, and 

improved flow rates through the lane closure could reduce the likelihood that a queue 

would form, or reduce its duration significantly when a queue did form 

 

The potential exists for queue spillback from the work zone into upstream interchanges 

or intersections (and resulting increase in cross-street congestion and rear-end crashes) due to an unequal utilization of all lanes, such that the encouragement of the use of 

all lanes for queue storage would reduce that probability of spillback conditions.

  

Work activities will frequently occur for which lower speed limits would be beneficial to 

have on a temporary basis (i.e., during temporary lane closures on freeway mainlanes, 

for temporary full road closures, during periods construction vehicle/equipment access 

into and out of the work space from the travel lanes, etc.)

  

Traffic speeds through the project vary widely due to oversaturated conditions during 

the peak period, and the timing and extent of congested travel will vary significantly day 

to day

 

A reduced speed (and thus speed limit) is believed to be necessary because of work 

zone hazards that are not readily apparent to motorists and so will not likely result in 

lower speeds driven



The project plans limit ability of enforcement to operate (no shoulders, barrier on both 

sides, long stretches between interchanges) 

Access to and from the work space occurs directly from the travel lanes 

A high number of construction vehicle deliveries into the work space will be required 

during the project 

The location and design of the access points could create confusion for motorists (i.e., 

access to the work space looks like an exit ramp and is near an existing actual exit 

ramp)

 

Little or no acceleration lane is available for construction vehicles entering the travel 

lanes from the work space  

Capacity reductions in the work zone now create an oversaturated condition due to 

merging ramp vehicles 

Temporary ramp geometrics have constrained acceleration lane lengths 

Work activities have temporarily disabled one or more permanent ramp meters within 

the limits of an operational ramp metering system 

Work zone ITS is already being deployed for other purposes 

Project documents include traffic mobility performance requirements (i.e., maximum 

allowable delays) that must be monitored to ensure and quantify compliance and 

subsequent incentives or penalties to be issued (performance specifications of mobility 

impacts [delay or queues]



The agency chooses the project for assessment purposes as part of its federally-mandated bi-annual process review 

26 CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT AND FEASIBILITY WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

Table 7. Possible work zone ITS applications to consider for various critical project characteristics.

* Assumes that the state transportation code allows use of automated speed enforcement in work zones

 Characteristic could be addressed with this work zone ITS application

 Characteristic could be addressed with this work zone ITS application if some modification(s) were made or real-time actions taken by an operator.

Source: Battelle
WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT AND FEASIBILITY 27

Stakeholders should consider the differences in costs, 

as well as benefits that each alternative would provide. 

For example, even though an ITS deployment would 

likely cost more than a public information campaign, the 

ITS deployment provides real-time information and can 

monitor the work zone status. While a public information 

campaign is good for steady state conditions or specific 

events, ITS is good for a dynamic work zone in which 

roadway configuration may change on a frequent basis. 

In weighing the benefits and cost of different strategies 

for addressing work zone issues, it is helpful to keep 

in mind that work zone ITS can give multiple benefits 

that sometimes exceed the primary objectives. For 

example, a work zone ITS deployment may enable traffic 

management in real-time, better deal with changing 

traffic conditions, and provide data for both performance 

monitoring and assessment of benefits, even though 

initial objectives may have been focused on providing 

information to travelers. More benefits may be provided 

by work zone ITS than cheaper alternative solutions 

(e.g., public information campaigns that only addresses 

the initial objective). 

For example, project staff at case study sites in Effingham 

and Mount Vernon, IL considered whether to use ITS 

the need for queue warning. Because on the need 

for automatic queue warning and delay information 

dissemination, staff at both projects considered alternatives 

and decided early on that some type of work zone ITS 

would be deployed. There had been previous efforts by 

Illinois DOT to warn drivers approaching a work zone with 

queues through the use of either enforcement personnel 

positioned upstream of the work, or through the use of 

Illinois DOT staff with truck-mounted CMS. The difficulties of 

predicting when queues would occur, having sufficient staff 

available to schedule during those times, and keeping the 

warning device (enforcement vehicle or the truck-mounted 

CMS) in the proper location relative to the end of the queue 

reduced the practicality of these approaches. Illinois 

DOT staff were also concerned with the potential liability 

associated with sometimes, but not always, being able to 

have an enforcement vehicle or truck-mounted CMS present 

when queues were expected.

Key Point: Whether to use ITS to address a work 

zone need has to be assessed because work zone 

ITS may not be the only or best way to address a 

particular issue.

! Several analytical tools have been developed for 

use in evaluating work zone traffic control strategies. 

The FHWA has developed a traffic impact analysis 

spreadsheet, known as QuickZone.22 QuickZone can 

estimate the delay impacts of various work scheduling 

or configuration alternatives, such as doing work at 

night instead of during the day or of diverting the traffic 

to various detour routes during different phases of the 

construction. The FHWA Traffic Analysis Toolbox includes 

guides for work zone modeling and simulation.23 These 

documents provide guidance on using analytical tools 

in work zone planning and management, including 

work zone analysis, selecting a modeling program, and 

approach. 

2.8 How can buy-in be obtained from 

stakeholders and other agencies?

Ideally, buy-in from core stakeholders should be 

achieved during Step 1. However, some agencies 

may choose to wait until the vision for the system is 

more mature before bringing in the entire spectrum of 

stakeholders listed previously. The size and magnitude 

of the work zone, as well as the expected complexity and 

scale of deployed ITS technology in the work zone, will 

impact the timing. For example, if a simple off-the-shelf 

system is being deployed, a general notification to key 

stakeholders should be sufficient. However, other cases 

will require more active participation, closer coordination, 

and stakeholder buy-in earlier, such as a case where 

ramp metering or a transit or truck bypass is being 

considered for a work zone.

The scope of the work zone project will affect the level of 

stakeholder buy-in required, as well as how difficult it will 

be to attain it. Buy-in for temporary or short-term work 

zone projects that do not affect long-term operations 

will generally be easier to obtain than similar buy-in 

for long-term projects requiring permanent changes 

in procedures or staffing responsibilities, although the 

costs may be harder to justify for shorter-term projects. 

As complexity or duration of the project increases, so too 

does the requirement for greater contact with affected 

agencies.

Peer-to-peer contact, i.e., developing inter-agency 

relationships among staff at the same level, is 

typically the most effective form of interaction. These 

relationships should be developed at the line supervisor 

and even the operator level, depending on the scope 

of the project. Cross-training, i.e., having staff from a 

different agency work alongside host agency staff for 

22More information about QuickZone is available at http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/traffic_analysis/quickzone/. QuickZone is available for purchase from the McTrans Center 

for Microcomputers in Transportation at the University of Florida at: http://mctrans.ce.ufl.edu.

23More information on the FHWA Traffic Analysis Tools, specifically Work Zone Modeling and Simulation Guidance in Volumes VIII, IX, and XII can be found at: http://ops.

fhwa.dot.gov/trafficanalysistools. 
28 CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT AND FEASIBILITY WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

Data Storehouse

Sub-System

Performance

Metrics

Sub-System

Travel Time

Monitoring

Sub-System

Construction

Traveler

Information

Sub-System

Lane Closure

Monitoring

Sub-System

Lane Closure

Assessment

Sub-System

Planned Closure

Notification

Sub-System

TxDOT

Waco

District

Freeway

Management

System

Traffic Data

Closure

Data

STOPPED TRAFFIC

1 MILE AHEAD

BT Reader BT Reader

DESTINATION 

DISTANCE

CURRENT TRAVEL TIME

Closure

Monitoring

Sub-Contractor

Figure 11. The product of this step should include concept of operations scenarios, such as this graphic for a work zone traffic 

management system.

Source: Battelle

a fixed period of time, has been effective in fostering 

better working relations and understanding of key needs. 

Another useful tool in obtaining buy-in from varying 

stakeholders is to communicate the estimated benefits 

for each individual agency being recruited. Answering 

the question “What’s in it for me?” is an effective way to 

elicit support from other agencies.

•	 The main product of Step 2 is a concept of operations report. This report builds on information gathered and established in

Step 1, and documents a vision for the system, such as the one illustrated in Figure 11. It should incorporate the goals and 

objectives of the system and the system strategy, and serve as a guide for system development. The report should also 

provide a summary of the processes in Steps 1 and 2 and document stakeholder input. The report should be scalable to 

the extent and complexity of the system.

•	 Engage ITS staff as a source of expertise. 

•	 Achieving a broad level of consensus in this step is a prerequisite to moving to Step 3. Presenting the results of Step 2 to

a stakeholder group is essential. Agencies sometimes skip this consensus-building step and move on to requirements 

and design. When that happens however, the agency will likely get mired in unanticipated questions and issues from 

stakeholders later that would have been easier to address sooner.

Key Takeaways 
WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE DETAILED SYSTEM PLANNING AND DESIGN 29

Figure 12. Sub-steps to be explored in Step 3.

STEP 3

DETAILED SYSTEM 

PLANNING AND 

DESIGN

The main objectives of Step 3 are to develop system requirements and specifications, develop performance 

measures for the system objectives, and prepare plans for deployment and subsequent operations and 

maintenance. The product of this step will be the overall Work Zone ITS System Plan. Sub-steps to developing the 

plan are depicted in Figure 12. These steps should be done within the context of TMP development, implementation, 

and evaluation for coordination with other TMP strategies.

3.1 Determining system requirements and 

specifications 

The objectives of the ITS work zone application and 

the manner in which it would operate to achieve these 

objectives are documented in the concept of operations 

developed in Step 2. The next step is to develop system 

requirements. These requirements define what the 

system will do. System requirements and specifications 

will be most effective if they also define performance 

targets and requirements. Typically, a trade-off exists 

between the amount (and cost) of system features and 

components (i.e., spacing and coverage of sensors, 

number and types of information dissemination devices, 

and services to be provided, etc.). Defining performance 

targets and requirements provides a basis for deciding 

what features and components are critical to achieve 

system objectives. All requirements should link with 

specific user needs and/or operational policies and 

constraints established in the concept of operations 

documents to preserve traceability. No requirement 

should exist that does not link to a user need, operational 

policy, or operational constraint, and vice versa.

By conducting a thorough and well-focused 

requirements generation process, agency staff will 

better manage stakeholder expectations, ensure that 

the key needs identified earlier are addressed, and gain 

consistent understanding of and buy-in for the system, 

and will be able to develop a more realistic estimate of 

the project deployment schedule and cost. The level of 

effort required for this activity depends on whether the 

agency has used a system of similar capabilities in the 

past and has past requirements and specifications (its 

own or from a peer agency) from which to work, and how 

many unique or unusual objectives exist. The National 

ITS Architecture24 can help define requirements and 

24For more information, see: http://www.iteris.com/itsarch/

Source: Battelle

Estimating

system

benefits 

and costs

3.9

Planning for

evaluating

3.8

Investigating

system 

security

3.7

Planning 

for 

public 

outreach

3.6

Determining

staff training

needs for 

those using 

and operating the work 

zone ITS

3.5

Planning 

for operations and

maintenance

3.4

Developing a 

testing 

strategy

3.3

Determining

system

requirements

and specifications

Developing the 

system

design

3.1 3.2

03

3.9

Source: Battelle
30 DETAILED SYSTEM PLANNING AND DESIGN WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

specifications, and should be consulted and followed 

when designing such systems. For more complex 

projects, the requirements documentation process 

should be done in two levels to include first high-level 

requirements, then detailed requirements.

Some examples of system requirements that have been 

developed by state DOTs for several types of work zone 

ITS are available from AASHTO.25 The examples are 

from several State DOTs, including Michigan, Minnesota, 

Missouri, and North Carolina, and cover real-time traveler 

information systems, speed management, and dynamic 

lane merge systems. An example of requirements for a 

work zone ITS are presented in Figure 13 below.

Requirements will necessarily vary for various types of systems, deployments, and agencies. As an example, a Minnesota 

project team developed this set of physical, functional, system, and maintenance requirements for the deployment of a 

traffic monitoring system in a work zone.

Physical Requirements

1. The system shall be self-contained in a traffic barrel.

2. The traffic barrel shall be indistinguishable from other traffic barrels to passing drivers.

3. The device shall meet crash safety standards for use on the National Highway System.

Functional Requirements

1. The system shall detect speed of vehicles travelling towards the sensor.

2. The system shall detect the volume of vehicles travelling towards the sensor.

3. The system shall have a cellular modem for communication to the central office when cellular access is available.

4. The system shall have a satellite modem for communication to the central office when cellular access is not available.

5. The system shall report speeds within three miles per hour of actual speeds.

6. The system shall be configurable to report data every minute.

7. The system shall be configurable to operate in a continuous data collection mode.

System Requirements

1. Data requirements

 a. The system shall report data in real time. 

 b. Real time data shall be available from a designated website. 

 c. The system shall report data to the central office.

 d. The system shall report adjustable binned historical data.

 i. System shall report 85th percentile speed data.

 ii. System shall report 50th percentile speed data.

 iiii. System shall provide a binned speed curve.

 e. Binned historical data shall be downloadable from a designated website.

 i. Historical data shall be downloadable in Microsoft Excel format.

 f. The system shall be capable of providing per vehicle speed records.

2. Website requirements

 a. Data recorded by the device shall be available on a designated website.

 b. Historical data on the website shall be password protected.

 c. The website shall provide a mapping function that pictorially illustrates the location of the devices.

 d. The website shall provide a mapping function that pictorially displays speed data in a color-coded format.

 e. The website shall provide both graphed and tabular historical data.

 f. The website shall produce an XML feed that can be parsed by the DOT’s traffic management software.

Maintenance Requirements

1. System setup shall only require one person.

2. System shall be powered with a sealed 12-volt battery.

3. System shall function for a minimum of 14 days on a single battery charge.

4. System battery shall be replaceable in the field without losing data. 

5. System shall recharge within a 12-hour period when connected to 120 VAC power.

These requirements can be found at: http://www.dot.state.mn.us/guidestar/2006_2010/icone/iconefinalrequirements.pdf.

Figure 13. Requirements for a work zone ITS deployment in Minnesota. 

25The AASHTO work zone ITS website can be found at: http://ssom.transportation.org/Pages/ITSinWorkZones.aspx.

Source: Minnesota DOT
WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE DETAILED SYSTEM PLANNING AND DESIGN 31

As part of the system requirements and specifications 

process, agencies should consider the potential need 

for, or opportunities of, establishing interoperability 

and connectivity with other ITS components and 

transportation management system components in the 

region. Doing so can result in significant economies 

of scale and expand the potential range of influence 

of a work zone ITS. For example, a work zone 

traveler information system could be designed to feed 

information to an agency’s existing traveler information 

website or 511 system, rather than establishing a 

separate website or not making the information available 

online to the public and others. A work zone incident 

management system may be best accomplished by 

installing temporary devices in and around the work 

zone to monitor and view traffic conditions, and sending 

the data and images back to the regional TMC already in 

place, as depicted in Figure 14, rather than developing a 

separate temporary TMC for the project or relying solely 

on DOT project staff to monitor the images. The FHWA 

publication Designing for Transportation Management 

and Operations: A Primer would be a useful resource for 

these considerations.26

Work zones are often dynamic and frequently changing 

throughout a project. Consequently, the system 

requirements and specification definition process 

should also address if and how the system must 

respond to changes in the work zone environment 

over time. Whether it be a change in device location 

to accommodate major traffic switches, adjustments 

in the thresholds being used to activate certain control 

and management functions, or provisions in a contract 

that determine when the system is no longer needed, 

it is important to think through and capture these 

requirements at this point in the design process. With 

respect to system duration considerations, work zones 

can be finished ahead of schedule or be delayed. 

Consequently, it is often a good idea to include 

contingency plans within the system design process. 

Adding a contingency plan could increase costs 

somewhat, but may be preferable to having to retrofit the 

system after the fact.

3.2 Developing the system design

Development of the system design will take into 

consideration much of the documentation assembled 

in previous steps. The concept of operations from 

Step 2 describes how the system will work, and system 

requirements and specifications provide more specific 

details for what the system needs to do. In this step, 

the hardware and software interfaces, site plans for 

the system components, and the integration of the 

COTS elements are designed. It is important that the 

design team or contractor has access to all of this 

documentation when developing the system design, 

especially if innovative contracting methods are used. 

The project team will establish the number and type 

of technological components during system design, 

if not already identified through the development 

of the requirements and specifications in substep 

3.1. Alternatively, an agency may choose to allow a 

contractor to propose all or some aspects of the work 

zone ITS system design, given the requirements and 

specifications that the agency has developed. The 

system design provides additional detail regarding 

Figure 14. The Las Vegas Freeway and Arterial System for Transportation (FAST) provides regional support for work zone activities.

26This document can be found at: http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop13013/index.htm

Source: FHWA
32 DETAILED SYSTEM PLANNING AND DESIGN WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

the placement of components within the project 

area. Strategic placement of components such as 

sensors and PCMS is important for the work zone 

ITS deployment to be effective. For example, PCMS 

used for a queue warning system need to be placed 

upstream of the maximum expected queue length. 

This is also an appropriate time to consider driver 

capabilities to verify that the system being planned 

for and/or designed will be satisfactory from a human 

factors perspective. Motorists can only process 

a limited amount of information while driving. It is 

important that any messages planned for display 

on CMS follow current guidance to ensure that 

the information is clear, concise, and credible. 

Characteristics of the devices and their deployment 

locations should also be considered. For example, the 

Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices27 provides 

specifications for CMS, stipulating that the size of the 

text on a message display must be sufficiently large and 

visible (a minimum of 18 inch characters for freeway 

conditions) so that drivers do not have to slow down to 

give themselves more time to read. Message boards 

should be positioned away from obstructions that might 

limit viewing times, such as piers, abutments, parked 

construction equipment, etc. In areas with significant 

truck traffic, the agency should consider whether some 

message boards need to be on the left as well as the 

right side of a multi-lane road for visibility. The location 

should also be far enough upstream of key decision 

points to allow drivers time to process the information 

and take appropriate action. 

The California DOT “Systems Engineering Guidebook 

For ITS” may serve as a useful reference during this 

step.28

3.3 Developing a testing strategy

Development of a coherent testing strategy to validate 

the functionality and accuracy of the ITS is a key 

component of successful deployment of the system 

in the demanding environment represented by a work 

zone. (Note: testing involves validation of the ITS 

functionality and accuracy before activation, while 

evaluation assesses the ITS system performance after 

activation.) The test plan can be prepared by an outside 

contractor, but should be closely scrutinized by the 

agency. The test plan does not need to be extensive 

in all cases; simple validation may be sufficient for a 

COTS system. Inadequate testing could fail to detect 

problems in system component operation until after the 

system is activated for the public.

27Available at: http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov. 

28Available at: http://www.dot.ca.gov/newtech/docs/se_guidebook_ver1-12_14_05.pdf

The test plan should be scheduled to provide sufficient 

time for resolving any problems that may arise, as well 

as retesting, in case any part of the system fails the 

initial testing. Tests should be established for each 

detailed level requirement defined in Step 2. A table 

listing all detailed level requirements in one column 

and corresponding tests in the adjacent column is a 

useful tool for ensuring that the test plan is adequate. 

There should be one test for each requirement and a 

requirement for each test. If either a requirement or a 

test is missing its corresponding element, the table is not 

complete.

Acceptance testing typically consists of the following 

tests:

•	Functional testing – requirement-by-requirement 

testing of the system’s ability to meet specifications as 

envisioned.

•	Performance testing – evaluates how well the system 

performs under various conditions

•	Throughput testing – measures how quickly the 

system processes a discrete event of data transfer or 

how quickly the system responds to operator input

•	Storage testing – measures the ability of the system to 

store data or handle the operation of multiple programs 

simultaneously

•	Stress testing – evaluates system operation under the 

peak load it is expected to encounter

•	Failure mode testing – evaluates the system’s ability 

to diagnose, report, and respond to failures (e.g., field 

devices, central system computer, power)

•	Operability testing – tests the system’s ability to 

operate for long periods without failing (e.g., central 

software crash).

Test plans for the system should include the following 

elements:

•	Test schedule developed as part of the overall project

schedule, including sufficient time for resolving any 

problems that may arise, as well as retesting in case 

any part of the system fails the initial test

•	Consistent test data used to populate files and 	 	

databases prior to collection of actual data

•	Data sheets used to record test data

•	Expected test results including detailed level 	 	

specifications that define expected system 

operating parameters (e.g., system reporting every 2 

minutes), or other expected results if not called for in 

the specifications

•	Requirements table listing requirements and 	 	

corresponding tests
WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE DETAILED SYSTEM PLANNING AND DESIGN 33

•	Test reports that tell the project team how well the

system performed.

3.4 Planning for operations and 

maintenance

During the planning step, the agency needs to consider 

what will be needed for operating and maintaining the 

work zone ITS. For example, incorporation of work zone 

ITS components into a permanent ITS deployment may 

place additional demands on TMC staff. This needs 

to be recognized during the planning process. Ideally, 

these types of needs should be addressed as part of 

TMP development and implementation. Automated 

systems may require fewer agency operational 

considerations since operations and maintenance may 

be handled by the vendor.

The level of effort required for system maintenance 

planning depends largely on how the ITS portion of the 

work zone is procured. For example, some DOTs have 

procured work zone ITS as part of a larger construction 

contract, and maintenance was the responsibility of the 

contractor. Operations and maintenance are frequently 

overlooked in ITS application development.

In general, work zone ITS deployments tend to be 

concerned primarily with corrective maintenance 

issues, due to the short life span of these deployments. 

Short-term maintenance issues include tasks such as 

replacement of power source for the equipment (e.g., 

recharging or replacing batteries); minor adjustments 

of the location of system signs and detectors to 

reflect queue lengths that are different from what was 

anticipated; movement of equipment due to work 

zone configuration changes; and troubleshooting and 

repairing malfunctions. Longer-term issues, such as 

system enhancements, are less of a consideration.

Implementing agencies should carefully plan for 

maintenance needs when determining the response 

requirements for system uptime and penalties for system 

downtime. For example, the agency should specify if 

someone needs to be on-site 24/7, what response times 

are expected (e.g., within 4 hours, 24 hours), and what 

penalties will be assessed if a system is down and at 

what point (e.g., after 2 hours) the penalties will begin.

It is also important that provisions be made to maintain 

functionality of existing ITS. Many projects result in 

power (and thus system functionality) being lost, for 

example, unless special arrangements for maintaining 

capabilities are made in advance.

Due to the limited duration typical of work zones, 

operations and maintenance responsibilities can be 

included with the procurement of the system. For 

example, an agency can pay a contractor a “per day” fee 

for the ITS application that includes operation of the ITS. 

The “per day” fee technique can result in significant staff 

time cost savings for the agency, as agencies are not 

required to dedicate staff to these projects or maintain 

inventories of spare parts. The agency should not be 

overly prescriptive regarding operational aspects of the 

ITS, such as requiring that the system process data onsite; vendors may be able to more cheaply process data 

off-site, and send it back to the field, as needed.

3.5 Determining staff training needs for 

those using and operating the work zone 

ITS

The amount of training needed will be determined by 

the approach that will be taken to procure, operate, 

and maintain the system. If the system will be leased, 

operated, and maintained by the vendor or a contractor, 

training of agency staff will focus primarily on operational 

aspects of the system. This can be very important as 

the agency, contractor, and vendor work to fine-tune 

the system. For example, for a recent work zone ITS 

deployment in Illinois, the agency, contractor, and vendor 

worked together to identify ways to improve the queueend warning system, calibrating it to generate messages 

from queue length data, and make adjustments 

as necessary throughout the course of the project. 

However, if the agency will be responsible for operating 

and maintaining the ITS, agency staff will need to receive 

in-depth training on all aspects of the system. Agency 

staff will need to learn about each component of the 

system, and how the components work together, as well 

Operations and maintenance costs can vary significantly 

for various reasons. A traffic management system was 

procured as part of the overall bid by the contractor for a 

work zone project on the I-70/I-57 interchange in Illinois. 

This was budgeted at $1,800/month over 25 months 

($45,000 total) for 70 devices. Illinois DOT intended for 

the system to remain operational and used during 3 

other contracts that were scheduled to occur within the 

section over the next several years. The next contract 

that was let also included this component, but was bid 

at much a different value: budgeted at $29,767/month 

over 25 months ($744,187 total) with only a few devices 

added from the previous contract. Agency and contractor 

understanding of desired operational conditions is 

important for requesting and submission of bid requests 

because the bid costs can vary greatly.

Example: Operations and Maintenance costs – 

I-70/I-57 Project in Effingham, Illinois.
34 DETAILED SYSTEM PLANNING AND DESIGN WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

as system set-up, maintenance requirements, testing 

techniques, and troubleshooting. The agency will need 

to determine the most appropriate people to receive 

the training, which would most likely be provided by the 

system supplier. Redundancy in staff training should be 

included to account for staff turnover and absences.

The National Highway Institute (NHI) offers courses 

addressing a wide variety of aspects of ITS.29 The 

curriculum covers several topics of interest to project 

managers of work zone ITS, including systems 

engineering, project management, telecommunications, 

software acquisition, and ITS procurement.

The Consortium for ITS Training and Education (CITE),30 

composed of numerous university and industry partners, 

offers a wide variety of ITS online courses on topics 

that include incident and emergency management, 

transportation management, systems engineering, and 

rural ITS. 

Other resources include ITS courses available through 

the Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP).31 Also, 

some agencies that operate and maintain permanent ITS 

have developed their own curriculum. 

3.6 Planning for public outreach

An important step in the planning process is to determine 

the amount and type of public outreach that the agency 

wants to pursue to alert local residents and businesses 

to the system and its capabilities, including web-based 

information. For example, how useful would it be to 

display real-time traffic information on a website if 

nobody knew that the website existed or how to access 

it? Carefully prepared press releases and involvement 

in community meetings are some of the strategies 

employed with success by state agencies.32 A number of 

agencies have learned that proactively working with the 

media has been a highly successful means of reaching 

out to the public. The media provides the agency with 

a free means of disseminating information to the public. 

It is important to plan for public interaction throughout 

the course of the project and should be done within 

the context of TMP development, implementation, and 

evaluation for the project, in order to keep the public 

informed and receive their feedback. An example of a 

press release is exhibited in Figure 15.

The FHWA offers a guide about “Work Zone Public 

Information and Outreach Strategies” that is designed 

to help agencies plan and implement effective public 

information and outreach campaigns to mitigate the 

negative effects of work zones.33

29More information about the ITS curriculum is available on the ITS Professional Capacity Building (PCB) Program website at: http://www.pcb.its.dot.gov. 30More information at: http://www.citeconsortium.org. 

31The LTAP resource database can be searched at: http://www.ltap.org/resources/searchdbs.php.

32Note that the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) prohibits the display of website addresses on CMS and PCMS. 

33This guide is available online at: http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/info_and_outreach/public_outreach_guide.pdf. 

Successful techniques include holding press conferences, issuing news releases, and keeping local media (especially those 

the public turns to for traffic information) up to date.

Tip: It is important to use a proactive approach in building public awareness of the project and 

the information that the ITS application will provide.
WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE DETAILED SYSTEM PLANNING AND DESIGN 35

NEWS RELEASE

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

For Immediate Release

October 8, 2007

Charles P. O’Leary, Commissioner

David Rodrigue

I-93/ITS Project Manager

(603) 271-6862

Public Information Office

(603) 271-6495

Contact:

NHDOT DEPLOYS “SMART WORK ZONE” ON I-93 PROJECT IN SALEM

PURPOSE IS TO INFORM MOTORISTS OF WHAT TO EXPECT AHEAD

 The New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) has deployed a

Smart Work Zone System as part of the Interstate 93 Exit 1 rebuilding project. The 

primary goal of this system is to provide a safe and efficient travel corridor through the

work zone by alerting motorists about what is happening along the road ahead.

 The Exit 1 Smart Work Zone consists of changeable message signs that provide

information to motorists as they travel through the work zone, traffic sensors that measure

vehicle volumes and speed, and a mounted camera that provides images of traffic through

the construction corridor.

 Motorists will be able check travel conditions in the work zone via the internet

and will receive vital incident or road construction information through changeable

message signs strategically located within three miles north and south of the project area.

Motorists will be able to use this information to prepare for stopped or slowed traffic

ahead, or they may choose an alternative route. The idea is to let the motorist decide what

action to take. Also benefiting from the Smart Work Zone will be emergency personnel

responding to incidents on I-93 in the vicinity of Exit 1 in Salem.

 The Smart Work Zone has a website link that may be accessed throught the I-93

project website at www.rebuilding 93.com. This website link provides the traveling

public an Internet location to view the messages displayed on the message signs, the

speeds measured through the work zone and an image of the traffic on I-93.

 The volume, speed and queue (length of stopped or slowed vehicles) data will be 

collected and used by the NHDOT to evaluate the impact of the work zone on traffic in 

this portion of the I-93 corridor.

Public Information Office - P.O. Box 483 - 7 Hazen Drive - Concord, New Hampshire 03302-0483

Telephone: (603) 271-6495 Fax: (603) 271-3914 web address: www.nhdot.com

-XXFigure 15. Example press release for a work zone in New Hampshire. Source: New Hampshire DOT
Vandalism was a problem on the I-40 reconstruction project 

in West Memphis, Arkansas. Although securely locked, the 

control center trailer was broken into by vandals, who ripped 

the system wires from their connections and destroyed the 

monitor for the computer. The vandalism resulted in several 

days of downtime while a replacement computer was 

sent from the system developer, and damaged wiring was 

reconnected. 

At a separate project in Illinois, a set of portable traffic 

sensors was stolen. However, officials used the location 

tracking technology built into the device to identify their 

location in the thief’s garage, making apprehension and 

recovery of the equipment by local law enforcement 

personnel very easy.

36 DETAILED SYSTEM PLANNING AND DESIGN WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

3.7 Investigating system security

Agency staff need to take system security into 

consideration to ensure that access to the ITS 

application is protected from unauthorized intrusion. 

System security is especially critical for systems 

providing traveler information. Most COTS and 

permanent ITS deployments rely on a multi-level 

architecture that grants varying levels of access to the 

system, depending on the attributes of the user. Some 

users, for example, will be granted the ability to review 

the system operating conditions on a website, but not 

be able to change operational strategies or access more 

detailed data. Other user may be designated managers 

of the system, and be allowed to make certain changes 

to the system. Typically, one or two users may be 

designated as the system administrator, with the greatest 

level of access and control privileges granted to them. 

In addition, agencies also need to consider the 

vulnerability of the system’s physical components. 

Sturdy locks and strong passwords should be placed on 

cabinet doors and computer access points, respectively, 

where possible. All keys and passwords for the 

equipment should be stored away from the devices. 

Also, many agencies position devices in locations 

where it is difficult for thieves to access and steal the 

device. Although these are basic security procedures, 

several locations around the country have experienced 

security violations where PCMS were programmed to 

display a false message (see Figure 16), which was 

made possible by easily guessable or visible system 

passwords. Easily portable components, such as solar 

panels, trailer tires, and barrels with sensors have also 

been stolen. Advances in global positioning satellite 

(GPS) and other technology in recent years has made 

monitoring and tracking of equipment easier, reducing 

theft and vandalism problems.

Figure 16. PCMS in several states have been illegally accessed 

and had messages changed.

3.8 Planning for evaluation

Evaluation is the rational assessment of how well system 

goals and objectives are being achieved, and it is an 

essential ingredient in good project management. The 

most effective evaluations occur when the goals and 

objectives for a work zone ITS are explicitly stated, 

measurable, and agreed to by all stakeholders. 

Considerations for evaluation at the early stage of the 

project, particularly during concept development and 

development of requirements, can greatly facilitate 

subsequent evaluation of the system. Although 

evaluation should be considered during each step of the 

process, formal planning for evaluation cannot occur until 

the system is well defined.

The primary purposes of evaluations are to:

•	Identify changes needed to fine tune and optimize

existing system operation or design and improve 

performance. In this way, the deployment is more likely 

to meet or exceed established goals and objectives.

•	Understand and quantify the benefits of the system,

which can help to identify future work zone ITS 

investment decisions (by documenting conditions for a 

successful implementation).

•	Document lessons learned.

Planning for evaluation should begin with a determination 

of the appropriate scope for the evaluation. The 

scope for the evaluation establishes the extent of the 

assessment (e.g., effort, level of detail, how frequently 

evaluation will be done for the project) and might be 

based on the complexity of the system, as well as the 

duration and scale of the project. 

Example: Work Zone ITS Security Issues.

Source: transportationissues.org
Several FHWA documents provide useful guidance for 

the use of work zone safety and mobility performance 

measures. First, A Primer on Work Zone Safety and 

Mobility Performance Measurement37 offers information 

for understanding data requirements for generating 

useful performance measures. A companion document, 

the Work Zone Performance Measures Pilot Test38

summarizes lessons learned through the identification 

and testing of a candidate set of work zone mobilityrelated performance measures at five projects 

nationwide. A third document, Guidance on Data Needs, 

Availability, and Opportunities for Work Zone Performance 

Measures39 provides more in-depth information and 

guidance on the usefulness of various measures, and 

the data necessary to develop and use them effectively.

The ITS JPO at USDOT has developed a six-step 

process for evaluating ITS projects, which is shown 

graphically in Figure 17, and should be considered at 

this stage of the project. Some of these steps will be 

carried out later during and after system deployment, but 

the planning should occur now.

WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE DETAILED SYSTEM PLANNING AND DESIGN 37

Quantifying benefits need not be overly complex: for 

example, a North Carolina Smart Work Zone system 

was observed to have fewer crashes compared to other 

work zones without the technology.34 Another example 

of quantified benefits was documented in the case of a 

California automated work zone information system that 

reduced traffic demand through the work zone, having 

a maximum average peak delay 50 percent lower than 

expected.35 Public satisfaction is also valuable, and 

comments and feedback from the public can be a useful 

gauge of the value of a system. In Little Rock, Arkansas, 

for example, 82 percent of drivers surveyed agreed that 

an Automated Work Zone Information System improved 

their ability to react to slow or stopped traffic.36

An evaluation includes, at a minimum, periodic 

monitoring of the data and analysis of performance 

measures, which necessitates a plan to collect and 

archive relevant data to adequately assess system 

performance. For example, an evaluation of a traveler 

information website might include counting hits or user 

sessions. Tracking visitor sessions or “visits” to the 

website is recommended as a tool to easily compare 

between sites. Trends on website usage may also assist 

in evaluating other facets of the work zone project, such 

as the effectiveness of a public awareness campaign 

and whether a website is a good investment that should 

be included on future ITS deployments.

Evaluation can benefit the agency responsible for 

the deployment of the work zone, as well as the 

traveling public. The lessons learned can be used for 

adjustments to the current system and can also be 

incorporated into future work zone applications. By 

framing a plan for a robust evaluation early, an agency 

can plan data collection activities, rather than piecing 

together available shreds of data after the project. This 

is also a time to consider data needs for agency process 

review. In addition, evaluation results can serve as a 

valuable resource for other agencies and planners. In 

general, the need exists for more data collection to 

better quantify benefits. Ensuring that work zone ITS 

will archive data in a format and level of completeness 

to allow the analyst to drill down to detailed impacts will 

allow agencies to better quantify those types of impacts, 

and develop strategies to minimize their occurrence in 

the future.

34Additional information can be found at: http://www.itsbenefits.its.dot.gov/ITS/benecost.nsf/ID/AAD0A64995FF6FFA8525733A006D

5298?OpenDocument&Query=Home. 

35Additional information can be found at: http://www.itsbenefits.its.dot.gov/ITS/benecost.nsf/ID/F1F2919AE17E081285257172005C8

569?OpenDocument&Query=Home. 

36Additional information can be found at: http://www.itsbenefits.its.dot.gov/ITS/benecost.nsf/ID/76C9F2DE2BF5DB1D85257603004E

031D?OpenDocument&Query=Home. 

37This is available online at: http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/resources/publications/fhwahop11033/fhwahop11033.pdf.

38This is available online at: http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/resources/publications/fhwahop11022/.

39FHWA-HOP-13-011, February 2013, http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/decision_support/performance-development.htm. 

•	Evaluations can be either qualitative or quantitative; 	 	

however, the best evaluations employ a combination of 

both types of information.

•	Examining the role of research in the evaluation step of

the project will help clarify the types of analyses that can 

be performed to produce benefits data.

•	The most effective evaluations occur when the goals 	 	

and objectives for a work zone ITS are explicitly stated, 

measurable, and agreed to by all stakeholders. 

•	It is helpful to provide a mechanism for the public to 	 	

offer feedback on the project. Several agencies have used 

comment sections on the project websites to collect this 

feedback.

•	The formality and magnitude of an evaluation should 		

match the level of the ITS deployment. An informal 

evaluation may be sufficient for simple systems, while a 

more formal evaluation would be better suited for a 

larger-scale deployment.

Tip: Helpful hints for planning an evaluation.
38 DETAILED SYSTEM PLANNING AND DESIGN WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

Figure 17. Overall evaluation process for ITS applications in work zones.

The ITS Evaluation Resource Guide40 contains a more 

detailed explanation of this six-step process, as well as 

a discussion of evaluation measures that correspond 

to overall ITS goal areas – safety, mobility, efficiency, 

productivity, environmental impacts, and customer 

satisfaction. Sample evaluation strategies, evaluation 

plans, test plans, and final reports are also available for 

downloading from the website. Table 8 presents some 

example criteria that might be used for a work zone ITS 

evaluation.

40Available online at: http://www.its.dot.gov/eval/eguide_resguide.htm.

Source: Battelle

• Identify project objectives (what)

• Identify evaluation objectives

• Discuss general evaluation approach (how)

 • Technical Analysis

 • Institutional Analysis

 • Economic Analysis

Develop the 

Evaluation

Strategy

Form the

Evaluation

Tream

• Choose an evaluation

• Discuss access to data

• Discuss questions of independence

• Specify how test will be conducted 

• Identify staff, equipment, supplies, 

 procedures, schedules, and resources

Develop One 

or More Test 

Plans

Develop the 

Evaluation

Plan

• Formulate hypotheses about system 

 performance 

• Identify Measures of Effectiveness

• Identify data sources

• Identify evaluation time frame

• Coordinate with project staff

• Implement each test plan 

• Carefully consider the need for cooperation 

 among partners

• Discuss before and after data

• Set stage for long term monitoring

Collect and 

Analyze 

Data and 

Information

• Distribute to relevant stakeholders and 

 decision makers 

• Submit to ITS Benefits and Unit Cost 

 Database

Prepare

Final 

Report
WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE DETAILED SYSTEM PLANNING AND DESIGN 39

Evaluation Objective Hypothesis Measures of Effectiveness Required Data

Mobility – Reduce 

delay and optimize 

travel times through 

the construction 

corridor by providing 

advanced traveler 

information

The ITS will reduce 

travel time through 

the corridor during 

construction.

•	 Change in travel time over 

baseline conditions in the 

primary direction during 

construction

•	 Change in the overall 

corridor-wide travel time 

reliability

•	 Change in travel time on 

recommended or viable 

alternate routes

•	 Observed corridor 

travel time during 

construction

•	 Observed travel time 

variability

•	 Observed alternate 

route travel times 

during construction

•	 Observed queue 

lengths before and 

after ITS on mainline 

routes

Safety – Improve 

traveler safety in the 

construction corridor

The ITS implementation 

will reduce crash risks 

during construction.

•	 Changes in the number of 

crashes or crash severity 

occurring in the corridor

•	 Changes in speed variability 

along the corridor during 

construction

•	 Change in the number of 

conflicts that occur in the 

corridor during construction

•	 Historical crash data

•	 Real-time crash data

•	 Observed speed 

variability during 

construction

•	 Observed number 

of conflict situations 

occurring during 

construction

Customer 

Satisfaction – 

Improve travel 

satisfaction for 

corridor users during 

construction

The ITS will result in 

improved satisfaction 

among corridor users.

•	 Corridor traveler 

perceptions

•	 Corridor traveler behavioral 

response to system 

components

•	 Update frequency and 

perceived accuracy of 

provided information

•	 Opinions of corridor 

travelers serving on a 

panel survey

•	 Traffic volumes on 

alternate routes and 

mainline

•	 Wide distribution of 

customer satisfaction 

surveys

Institutional – 

Improve coordination 

among implementing 

agencies.

The ITS will result in 

improved coordination 

among implementing 

agencies.

•	 Number of institutional 

issues

•	 Documented 

institutional issues

Table 8. Example evaluation criteria.

3.9 Estimating system benefits and costs

A key part of system planning is estimating system 

benefits and costs. In estimating the benefits that the 

system will have on traffic, mobility and safety are both 

key factors to consider. Estimation of these impacts 

will become easier as results become available from 

more ITS in work zone deployments. At present, traffic 

modeling and traffic flow theory can be used to estimate 

impacts on delay through factors such as diversion 

of traffic around the work zone. The level of effort 

spent to evaluate potential system impacts should be 

proportional to the size, duration, and complexity of the 

work zone. A complex 25-mile, 3-year work zone would 

require a more extensive evaluation of system impacts 

than that for a simple 1-mile, 2-month work zone. In 

estimating system impacts, it is important to consider the 

whole area that the ITS deployment will influence (see 

Figure 6).

By this stage, the general cost estimates developed in 

Step 2 can be refined based on better-defined system 

characteristics. When refining cost estimates, agencies 

should be sure to consider ancillary costs such as 

required training, agency labor, outreach activities, and 

system maintenance. It is also recommended that 

agencies include a reserve or contingency fund to pay 

for unexpected items, such as fixing system integration 

and communications problems (e.g., costs for cellular 

modems and pagers, etc.).

Source: Battelle
40 DETAILED SYSTEM PLANNING AND DESIGN WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

System costs will vary widely depending on whether 

the system is purchased or leased, and whether labor 

associated with operating and maintaining the system 

is provided internally by agency staff or by an outside 

contractor. These procurement options and issues will 

be discussed further in the next section.

41The database is available online at: http://www.benefitcost.its.dot.gov; the website has instructions on how to contribute.

•	The main products of Step 3 are detailed system plans that build on the concept of operations from Step 2. The concept of

operations describes the objectives of the system and how it would operate to achieve the objectives. Step 3 develops the 

system requirements and specifications that define what the system will do and ideally include performance targets. 

•	Documentation should include plans for system testing, operating the deployed system, the staffing approach, any

necessary public outreach, system security considerations, and evaluation throughout and at the conclusion of the project. 

It is important to plan for each of these aspects to avoid issues later with system deployment and to ensure that data will be 

available for system evaluation.

•	The most effective evaluations occur when the goals and objectives for a work zone ITS are explicitly stated, measurable,

and agreed to by all stakeholders. Then it is much easier to pick appropriate performance measures for evaluation and to 

know what data to collect to best determine system success and value.

The ITS JPO maintains an ITS Benefits and Unit Cost 

Database to assist users with estimating system and 

unit costs of ITS elements and deployments across the 

country.41

Key Takeaways 
WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE PROCUREMENT 41

STEP 4

PROCUREMENT

The objective of Step 4 is to procure the work zone ITS. This requires first considering a number of options, based 

on the type of deployment being procured. Sub-steps to developing the plan are depicted in Figure 18.

Figure 18. Sub-steps to be explored in Step 4.

4.1 Overview of procurement approaches

In many ways, the procurement options available for 

work zone ITS depends on the characteristics of the 

ITS needed. Traditionally, ITS procurement for work 

zone applications has primarily been for either COTS 

or customized ITS solutions. An agency or contractor 

would obtain the equipment, software, and operational 

expertise to gather, process, and use data to monitor 

conditions, measure performance, disseminate 

information to drivers, and otherwise manage traffic 

through and around the work zone. However, the 

potential now exists for agencies and contractors to 

purchase data collected by private-sector data providers 

for similar purposes. 

An agency can directly procure ITS equipment, services, 

and/or data for its own use and dissemination as part of 

work zone safety and mobility management efforts, or 

can procure these items indirectly through specification 

of the ITS needs as part of the roadway construction 

or maintenance contract. A number of alternatives 

then exist within these two basic approaches. These 

approaches and alternatives are described in the 

following sections. It is important to realize that the type 

of work zone ITS selected will influence the procurement 

options, which will impact the choices for procurement 

award mechanisms in the next step, as shown in Figure 

19. 

Source: Battelle

Selecting the 

preferred vendor, 

consultant, or 

contractor

4.5

Issuing a 

request for 

proposals

4.4

Determining 

the procurement award 

mechanism

4.3

Assessing 

procurement 

options

Deciding 

direct 

or indirect 

procurement

4.1 4.2

04
Select Award

Mechanism

Low Bid Selection

Negotiated Selection

Sole-Source Selection

Select Procurement

Method

42 PROCUREMENT WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

Figure 19. Agencies must select the work zone ITS type first, which could impact the type of procurement 

method and award mechanism that are used.

Select Work Zone

ITS TYPE

Commercial-Off-The

Shelf (COTS) Products

Customized Work

Zone Solutions

Third Party Data or

Services

Direct

Purchase

Lease

Requirement for ITS in bid 

document

Change order to add

ITS to existing contract

As a value-added element

To measure performance 

criteria requirements

Best-Value Selection

Procuring private-sector data

The procurement of private-sector data is a relatively new 

approach for agencies. Two types of private-sector data 

providers exist: 

•	Private-sector information providers that supplement

their motorist travel time information to meet agency 

needs; or

•	Vendors who install, operate, and maintain sensors for

the agency and provide the data from the sensors to 

the agency in the desired format. 

The first type is the private-sector information service 

providers who focus on providing real-time travel time 

information to drivers on an ongoing basis. These 

providers typically rely heavily on probe-based travel 

time data sources, and have developed sophisticated 

data fusion and travel time and congestion location 

dissemination capabilities. Recently, these providers 

have begun marketing their data to agencies who wish 

to establish or supplement traffic condition monitoring 

or performance measurement capabilities on various 

routes in their jurisdiction. In essence, these companies 

license the data to the agencies rather than sell the 

data, as restrictions often exist in how the data can be 

used or distributed by the agency.42 As of 2013, the 

number of contracts (non-work zone) established to 

obtain this type of data has been limited and is generally 

negotiated between the data provider and the agency. 

In one example, the agency paid $800 per mile per year 

for access to the data in real time (plus an initial $200 

per mile the first year).43 If the agency is only interested 

in historical data (for computing a priori work zone 

performance metrics as an example), it is anticipated to 

cost less to have access to the data.44

42Turner, S. et al. Private Sector Data for Performance Measurement – Final Report. Report No. FHWA-HOP-11-029. FHWA, U.S. 

Department of Transportation, Washington, DC. July 2011.

43Middleton, D. et al. Synthesis of TxDOT Uses of Real-Time Commercial Traffic Data. Report No. FHWA/TX-12/0-6659-1. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. January 2012.

44Edwards, M.B. and M.D. Fontaine. Investigation of Travel Time Reliability in Work Zones with Private-Sector Data. In Transportation 

Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board No. 2272. TRB of the National Academies, Washington, DC. 2012. 

pp. 9-18.

Source: Battelle

tt

Indirect
WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE PROCUREMENT 43

The second type of private-sector data availability 

involves the installation, operation, and maintenance 

of sensors at locations requested by the agency. 

This type of private-sector data allows the agency 

to leverage private-sector experience, supplement 

existing resources, and lower agency risk. One vendor 

offered bi-directional spot speed data to agencies 

for $110 per location per month in 2012, providing all 

installation, operation, and maintenance of the sensors, 

and providing the data in the format designated by the 

agency.45

4.2 Deciding between direct or indirect 

procurement

Direct Work Zone ITS Procurement Approaches

An agency has the option of directly purchasing work 

zone ITS from a vendor or consultant, or leasing it. The 

difference between these two approaches is in the 

duration of availability of the equipment/service/data, 

and who owns it, and in the operations and maintenance 

responsibility. 

Purchase: The agency owns the equipment/service 

provided/data and is free to use it for as long as 

deemed necessary. An agency typically also has 

the responsibility for maintenance of the system, and 

replacement of any components that become inoperable 

due to accidents, wear, or neglect. This maintenance 

could be performed by in-house staff if properly trained, 

or purchased from a service consultant. 

Lease: The vendor owns the equipment/services 

provided/data, and the agency obtains the equipment/

service/data for a predetermined length of time (i.e., the 

term of the lease). When that term is completed, the 

vendor retains ownership of the equipment and access 

to the services/data end. Maintenance, and possibly 

operations, efforts are handled by the vendor and 

incorporated into the lease price. 

In determining whether to purchase or lease work zone 

ITS, an agency must consider the following:

•	 Anticipated duration of usage;

•	 Whether the agency expects to use similar equipment

on future projects and when;

•	 Expertise on staff to operate, troubleshoot, and

maintain the system;

•	 Reliability of the equipment hardware and software

being considered;

•	 Source of funds to be used; and

•	 Agency policies and regulations. 

Purchasing work zone ITS is sometimes an agency’s 

preferred approach. Longer duration work zones, or 

the desire to use ITS on multiple work zones that are 

scheduled in sequence, often make purchasing more 

cost-effective than leasing. Similarly, purchasing is 

usually more appropriate for deployment of equipment 

that is integrated into a permanent regional ITS and 

will remain as part of that system after the work zone is 

completed. 

For other situations, leasing work zone ITS is the 

preferred option. The procurement of private-sector 

traffic data by an agency will almost always be a 

leasing arrangement unless already available for use 

through existing contracts for permanent applications. 

Agencies that do not have expertise on staff to support 

the operation and maintenance of a work zone ITS 

deployment may be better served by leasing it and 

relying on the vendor to provide that expertise. These 

contracts can specify and restrict allowable downtime 

when issues with the system arise, levying fines 

or reduced reimbursement if the ITS deployment 

has not resumed operations by a certain time. For 

COTS deployments, leasing does appear to be the 

preferred method of most vendors and many agencies. 

Maintenance and removal by a vendor puts the 

responsibility for proper operation, quality control, and 

updating of equipment/using newer technologies on the 

vendor.

Most agencies allocate their available transportation 

funds into different categories for different purposes, 

with restrictions on how those funds can be used (much 

of the federal funding received by state agencies has 

restrictions on how it can be used as well). Some funds 

The Minnesota DOT issued a stand-alone, design-bid-build, 

best-value contract to facilitate work zone ITS for a set of 

three simultaneous construction projects with separate 

contractors on a single stretch of highway. This mechanism 

helped assure contractor qualifications and expertise for 

designing, deploying, and operating a single, quality ITS, 

along with performance-based considerations for the 

projects.

The Minnesota DOT has also discussed issuing a general 

contract to have an ITS contractor on call. The ITS 

contractor would engage stakeholders and provide input 

and recommendations for work zone ITS early on for 

selected projects the agency believes will require it, stay 

abreast of rapidly changing technologies, and help the 

agency use ITS to its maximum potential.

Key Point: Procurement of ITS need not ! conform to a traditional approach.
44 PROCUREMENT WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

may only be used for capital equipment purchases, for 

example, whereas other funds may be designated for 

operations and maintenance purposes with a restriction 

that such funds cannot result in agency ownership of any 

capital equipment. 

Agencies typically also follow different procedures 

depending on how the specific work zone ITS 

deployment is categorized. For example, it may be 

feasible to either purchase or lease a COTS system 

because it can be procured through a traditional lowbid process. However, a customized deployment that 

requires system design support as well as software 

design and integration, could be categorized as an 

information technology project and be subject to 

additional procedures and regulations and may not be 

suitable for low bid. 

Indirect Work Zone ITS Procurement Approaches

In addition to the approaches available for agencies 

to directly procure work zone ITS, there exist a number 

of approaches where agencies can indirectly procure 

it. With indirect procurement, in most cases, the 

actual procurement (purchase or lease) is done by 

the construction contractor rather than the agency, 

and thus the agency would not be directly responsible 

for the later substeps in the procurement process, or 

even in Step 5 for the system deployment or Step 6 for 

system operations. Instead, for an indirect procurement 

approach the primary responsibility of the agency will 

be in oversight of the work zone ITS and evaluation of 

the system both throughout and at the conclusion of the 

project. The indirect procurement methods include the 

following:

•	Line item specification or special provision of the

desired ITS functions or components in the original bid 

documents;

•	Change order addition during the project to achieve

the desired ITS functions or components (via 

specification or special provision);

•	Assigned additional value to work zone ITS 	 	

components included within best-value bid proposals 

(such as for design-build projects); and

•	Incorporation of traffic performance requirements into

the bid documents that could be monitored through 

the incorporation of work zone ITS.

The first two approaches above would ensure that ITS is 

deployed, while the latter two approaches may (but not 

necessarily) result in an ITS deployment.

One of the most common ways for ITS to be indirectly 

incorporated into a work zone project is for the agency 

to specify through a line item in the bid documents that 

it be provided as part of the contractor requirements 

for performing the work. This approach requires a 

specification or special provision outlining the purpose, 

functions, and possibly operational requirements of 

the system (e.g., messages to be presented on PCMS, 

speed thresholds at which different messages are to be 

displayed, response time and maintenance requirements 

such as allowable downtime before penalty when issues 

arise, etc.). The contractor has the option for either 

purchasing or leasing the system. Overall, vendors 

prefer for specifications or special provisions to be 

very precise in the types and amount of equipment to 

be procured, as it allows them to be competitive when 

providing bids. However, agency personnel tasked 

with establishing the specification or special provision 

often do not have the technical expertise to create 

such a precise specification without unduly biasing it 

towards a particular type of technology or vendor. The 

actual system to be procured by the contractor and the 

amount to be paid by the agency to the contractor may 

be accepted initially by the agency, or may be part of 

negotiations between the agency and the contractor 

selected. Agencies should also be aware that if a project 

is delayed that specifications may need to be updated 

prior to issuing a request for bids to ensure it addresses 

current needs and system options.

Another way for ITS to be indirectly procured by an 

agency is by issuing a change order to an existing 

contract to add the system. This approach is used when 

the need or value of an ITS deployment is identified after 

the initial construction contract has been awarded. A 

change order may also be needed to further enhance the 

equipment or capabilities of ITS that have already been 

deployed. Like a line item bid approach, a specification 

or special provision is needed for bidding purposes. 

Both purchase or lease options are again possible, and 

different approaches can be used even if the change 

order is an addition to an already-deployed system 

(e.g., a system initially purchased could be enhanced 

through the leasing of additional equipment procured 

through a change order). This approach can result in 

slightly higher costs than those obtained during the initial 

project bid, as the contractor attempts to account for 

the additional time and cost to his or her operations in 

executing the change order. 

A third indirect method of work zone ITS procurement 

is through the assignment of value to ITS deployments 

proposed as part of a design-build or best-value bidding 

process. (Note that the fourth method, the specification 

of performance criteria, may be included in a designbuild process also.) For this approach, a consultantcontractor team develops needs, objectives, and 

methods for deploying work zone ITS and incorporates a 

proposed plan for the ITS deployment into their bid. The 

agency then considers the value of the proposed work 
WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE PROCUREMENT 45

zone ITS deployment, typically using a point system 

and assessment process. Ideally, the value and scoring 

criteria that the agency uses in proposal evaluation 

would be based on the agency’s assessments of 

expected impacts that could occur during the project 

and the potential for the proposed ITS deployment to 

mitigate those impacts. It is important to note that this 

approach may not result in an actual ITS deployment, 

since a winning contractor or contract team may not be 

one that actually proposes the use of ITS. 

The fourth and final method of indirect work zone ITS 

procurement involves specification of performance 

criteria in the construction contract alongside a 

requirement for the contractor to verify said performance. 

In this case, the contractor (or subcontractor) determines 

the best approach to meet and verify performance 

requirements. Although this approach would not 

Method Key Characteristics

Direct Agency Procurement 

Purchasing •	Can be most cost-effective approach for very long duration projects or when system is to be 

re-used on other projects

•	Necessary when components are to be integrated into permanent regional ITS and retained 

after the work zone is completed.

•	Agency has maximum control over the system 

•	Data licensing agreements for private-sector data can involve some restrictions on use and 

dissemination

Leasing •	Agency limits or eliminates need for ongoing maintenance and updating their technology 

•	Agency not required to maintain expertise on staff for set up, troubleshooting, maintaining, 

and updating equipment

•	Maintenance and removal by vendor allows them to ensure proper operation, quality control 

over equipment used, and up-to-date equipment

•	A preferred method by vendors and agencies for COTS deployments 

•	Direct engagement with vendor keeps high focus on work zone ITS

Indirect Agency Procurement

Specific requirement 

for ITS in bid 

documents 

•	Contractor has responsibility for determining and selecting a vendor (agency does not make 

vendor selection)

•	Contractor determines whether to purchase or lease the system 

•	Agency can retain ability to negotiate with the contractor regarding pricing and other aspects 

of the ITS deployment

•	Agency does not have direct link to vendor to provide input on set-up and adjustments 

during operation

Change order to 

add ITS for existing 

construction contract

•	Contractor has responsibility for determining and selecting a vendor (agency does not make 

vendor selection)

•	Contractor determines whether to purchase or lease the system 

•	Agency can retain ability to negotiate with the contractor regarding pricing and other aspects 

of the ITS deployment, but may cost more than including it in the original contract

•	Enhancements to existing work zone ITS by a contractor can be procured by a different 

approach than used for the original system (purchase versus lease)

As a value-added 

element

•	Design-build or contractor team develops ITS needs, objectives, and methods and may not 

have all the traffic data to tailor the ITS

•	Agency determines value of the proposed ITS deployment, and considers it within the overall 

transportation management approach being proposed

•	Winning contractor or contract team may not propose an ITS solution

To measure 

performance criteria 

requirements in a 

contract

•	Contractor decides best approach to meet the defined need to monitor impacts

•	Monitoring of impacts is commonly tied to incentive and/or disincentive clauses that depend 

on whether or not the impacts exceed a threshold 

•	System may or may not be used to improve traffic operations

specifically require that ITS be used, the contractor 

could decide that an ITS solution is the best or only 

approach towards meeting the requirement of monitoring 

performance. This method would be best suited for 

well-defined mobility measures, such as maximum travel 

times or delays allowed. Agencies would designate any 

incentives to be awarded if monitored impact thresholds 

are maintained, as well as any penalties that will be 

incurred if such thresholds are exceeded.

A listing of the key advantages and disadvantages of 

each of the procurement approaches are summarized 

in Table 9. Theoretically, indirect procurement could 

involve equipment/COTS systems, data from third-party 

vendors, or a combination of both. To date, indirect 

procurement has involved mainly ITS equipment, 

particularly COTS systems. However, a more complex 

approach is certainly possible. For instance, a 

Table 9. Summary table of procurement methods.

Source: Battelle
46 PROCUREMENT WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

contractor could, in cooperation with the highway 

agency, choose to purchase travel time data from a 

third-party data provider in real time with the intent to 

disseminate that information via portable or permanent 

CMS in advance of the work zone. Dissemination could 

involve manual monitoring of the data coming in from 

the third party and creation/posting of the travel times, or 

could potentially even be automated. 

4.3 Determining the procurement award 

mechanism

Historically, ITS procurement has been accomplished 

through various award mechanisms, depending on the 

type of system needed. These mechanisms include: 

•	Low bid selection (commonly referred to as sealed

bidding);

•	Negotiated selection (based on evaluation of a 	 	

technical approach, qualifications, and experience 

submitted as a proposal);

•	Sole source selection (to obtain services or equipment

when no competitors exist); and

•	Best value selection (a weighted combination of the

low-bid and negotiated selection mechanisms).

Often, direct procurement of COTS systems can be 

safely awarded through low-bid mechanisms, whereas 

more complex customized solutions and privatesector data are usually procured through one of the 

other mechanisms. The effectiveness of low-bid 

selections depends significantly on the quality of the bid 

specification itself. As noted previously, specifications 

that are too prescriptive technology-wise can result in 

only a single bidder (if the bidder is aware that they are 

the one, this can result in a higher bid price). On the 

other hand, specifications that are too general can result 

in procurement of lower-quality, less durable equipment 

or systems. 

For indirect procurement through line item project bids 

or change orders, however, a COTS procurement will 

often be a negotiated or best-value selection. In some 

instances, a contractor may simply identify a work 

zone ITS vendor they prefer to work with, which could 

be considered a type of sole-source procurement. 

However, most agencies will include provisions in the 

bid documents to approve the system and vendor, as 

well as to limit the amount by which the contractor can 

increase the bids for profit purposes. The proposal of a 

work zone ITS as a value-added feature for a particularly 

large complex design-build project has occurred in 

a few instances in recent years, and may become 

more commonplace in the future as agencies develop 

procedures on how to objectively consider the value of 

these features in the overall bid package. Theoretically, 

the project bid document could require a contractor to 

provide multiple bids from work zone ITS vendors and 

to select the low-bid option. To date, however, it does 

not appear that many agencies are willing to be so 

prescriptive, relying instead on the contractor to work up 

their best price with a vendor they feel gives them the 

best opportunity at being successful and profitable.

Although there has not been a significant amount of 

experience with procuring data from third-party vendors 

specifically for work zone purposes, it would seem that all 

of these approaches would be valid for work zone data 

procurement as well, depending on the location of the 

work zone (e.g., third-party data is not always sufficient 

on lower-volume facilities or for overnight hours).

4.4 Issuing a request for proposals or 

bids

After the procurement award mechanism has been 

selected, the agency has everything necessary to 

procure the system if the agency is directly procuring the 

system or system components. For a complex, uniquely 

designed system, this may involve the development and 

issuance of a request for proposals (RFP). 

The RFP should contain clear specifications for the 

system, including any additional resources needed for 

operations and maintenance. The products of previous 

steps should contain all of the information necessary 

for inclusion to the RFP. The system requirements and 

system design are particularly important items to include, 

as is the testing strategy in order for the contractor to 

understand the desired system. 

The structure of a given RFP will vary greatly based on 

a number of factors. Depending on the extent to which 

the agency plans to operate and maintain the system, 

staffing needs and maintenance considerations should 

also be included in the RFP document. It could be 

valuable to consult with several vendors or contractors in 

advance to research various options available in order to 

draft. 

A separate consideration is the option of hiring an 

independent evaluator of the ITS deployment. An 

independent evaluator can assist an agency with making 

an unbiased comprehensive assessment of the deployed 

system. If an independent evaluator is preferred, 

this will be done through a separate RFP process. It 

is recommended that the contract be awarded early 

enough for the evaluator to make recommendations 

for data collection or documentation throughout the 

implementation.
WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE PROCUREMENT 47

If the need is more for a COTS system by the agency for 

which the agency has a good idea as to the functions, 

devices, and operating criteria to be used, a requestfor-bid may be used in lieu of the more complex RFP 

for an agency’s direct purchase. In these situations 

a purchase specification of the desired components 

and performance of the system are issued for vendors 

to follow. In a request-for-bid approach, lowest cost 

typically controls the award selection. 

When a work zone ITS is to be procured indirectly, as 

part of an overall construction contract, the contractor 

has the primary role in determining what to provide. 

For these situations, the agency will normally include 

a special specification in the overall bid package. It 

is then up to the contractor to identify the technology, 

system, and if necessary, subcontractor to help meet 

the specification. Depending on how the specification 

is written, the agency may have some opportunity to 

work cooperatively with the contractor in selecting 

the ITS technology and subcontractor. Typically, this 

collaboration occurs more often once a contractor 

determination has been made, so as to keep from 

influencing the overall bid process. 

4.5 Selecting the preferred vendor, 

consultant, or contractor

For direct work zone ITS procurements by the agency 

that involve an RFP, the next step is for all proposals 

that have been received to be evaluated by the agency 

and the winning proposal selected. The review team 

should verify that the proposed system will meet the 

required objectives for the needed ITS before delving 

further into the details of the proposal and evaluating it. 

It can be helpful to include someone with ITS and traffic 

management expertise who is familiar with the project 

TMP on the review team.

The final selection of the winning proposal should be 

based on the award mechanism established in substep 

4.3 using the criteria established in the RFP in substep 

4.4. Generally, the specified set of criteria from the 

RFP is used by those evaluating the proposals to rank 

the proposals in various categories. If the proposal 

includes additional elements, these can be considered 

for the potential value added to the required system in 

comparison to the higher costs that may be incurred, 

depending on the award mechanism. This may be 

particularly applicable for best value or design-build (DB) 

procurements.

Upon selecting the winning proposal, notification should 

be sent to the contractor with clear guidance regarding 

next steps. This should include information regarding a 

kick-off meeting. A kickoff meeting provides a forum to 

discuss schedule information, expectations regarding 

system deployment and agency communications, and 

any changes that have occurred since the RFP was 

issued.

For simpler procurements, such as for a direct agency 

procurement of a COTS system for which a purchase 

specification and request-for-bid was issued, the 

process is very straightforward. The agency first verifies 

that the specifications included in the request-for-bid can 

be met by the vendors providing a bid, and then selects 

the lowest bid from those deemed to be acceptable. 

Finally, procurements of a system or system components 

indirectly by a contractor as part of the overall contract 

may or may not involve the agency as part of the 

selection process, depending on when the procurement 

process is initiated (i.e., as part of the initial bid package 

or through a change order) and how the bid specification 

was crafted. Desirably, some level of involvement 

is incorporated into the bid specification (such as 

the requirement that the system be approved by the 

agency), since few contractors have enough experience 

with work zone ITS to be able to assess which vendor 

and/or subcontractor will best provide devices or a 

system that will best meet the requirements of the 

specification. Even then, it is still up to the contractor to 

first find the vendor/subcontractor, and then bring them 

to the negotiation table to bet agency approval of the 

selection. 

The Massachusetts DOT has entered into a two-year 

service contract directly with a vendor to deploy, calibrate, 

and oversee operations of smart work zone equipment 

at projects as directed by the agency. Emphasis has 

been on short-duration projects where the Massachusetts 

DOT is pushing for construction to be accelerated. The 

Massachusetts DOT purchased the equipment directly 

and so will retain it at the end of the service contract. The 

Massachusetts DOT spent slightly more than $370,000 on 

three pan-tilt-zoom capable portable camera trailers, nine 

portable traffic sensors, and three portable changeable 

message signs. The on-call portion of the contract consists 

of a $30/day deployment cost of the equipment, and a 

$1,000/month hosting charge for web-based monitoring of 

the system components.

Example: Massachusetts Service Contract. 
48 PROCUREMENT WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

General Agency Perspectives

•	Methods for estimating potential benefits and costs of

work zone ITS are not well developed, such as 

expected diversion rates, resulting reduction in road 

user costs, or expected reductions in incident rates. 

Further, work zone ITS and its estimated benefits must 

compete for other construction (“hard-dollar”) needs 

when assessing whether work zone ITS is actually the 

best use of funds. 

•	Once implemented, it is often hard for an agency

to assess whether the work zone ITS was beneficial. 

Agencies want equipment to be activated as soon as 

it is deployed to get the most out of their investment 

and to preempt liability concerns should an incident 

occur in the work zone when the system is inactive. If 

the agency leaves the system turned off to get data for 

a true ”before” condition for comparison, criticism may 

result for not using equipment that has already been 

paid for and is supposed to alleviate issues caused by 

the work zone. Other methods of estimating impacts, 

such as through simulation models, are timeconsuming and are not guaranteed to provide realistic 

estimates. 

•	Current agency procurement processes are difficult

to apply to bid estimation for work zone ITS 

because there are not enough unit price experiences. 

Differences in various system objectives, designs, 

roadway and work zone characteristics complicate 

matters in trying to establish average unit pricings. 

•	Agencies should verify the qualifications of any 	 	

ITS subcontractors that the contractor may 

propose or select. Contractors have limited experience 

with procuring work zone ITS technology and may be 

more focused on the main project, making the skills 

and capabilities of the subcontractor critical for a 

successful work zone ITS deployment.

•	A separate ITS contract can allow for a better

functioning work zone ITS, since that is the primary 

focus of the contract. With these contracts, the direct 

interaction between the agency and the vendor can 

reduce the time it takes to make the system work 

properly or make any necessary modifications. 

•	Language in separate contracts should include 		

provisions for cooperating with adjacent projects 

since nearby projects may affect the work zone and 

functioning of the ITS.

•	Best value contracts are useful, particularly if the

vendor is required to demonstrate past successes and 

incorporate those proven technologies and strategies 

in their bid. Vendors with successful past experiences 

are more likely to reduce the time needed to make the 

system function properly, which is critical since the first 

days of deployment are critical to retain driver respect 

and attention. 

•	Agency access and use of third-party traffic data can

be challenging, as the roadway segments used by 

the vendor may or may not line up well with actual 

work zone project limits, or even with how the agency 

defines segments within its own roadway inventory 

files. 

•	If third-party data is obtained for the purpose of 	 	

post-hoc performance assessment of a work zone, 

the price of the “historical” data is likely to be relatively 

low but the data itself may be aggregated to a level 

that inhibits analyses of detailed work activities (i.e., 

a temporary lane closure occurring on a particular day 

or night). Conversely, leasing of real-time data for work 

zone monitoring and dissemination will typically allow 

for detailed assessment of specific work zone impacts, 

but will likely cost more to obtain.

Construction Contractor Perspectives

•	Most contractors have very limited experience with

procuring work zone ITS technology, and so many 

contractors rely on subcontractors for expertise. 

Generally, the technical knowledge needed for work 

zone ITS is much different than what normally exists on 

contractor staff. Contractors need to seek out qualified 

and experienced subcontractors to ensure that work 

zone ITS needs are sufficiently met. 

•	 In this step, the procurement type and mechanism is determined, an RFP is issued, and a proposal is selected. 

•	 In procuring work zone ITS, there are three different perspectives: the contracting agency that desires work zone ITS, the

contractor responsible for the overall construction project, and the vendor who supplies work zone ITS. Lessons learned 

from each of these perspectives were gathered from five FHWA-sponsored case studies that examined deployments of 

ITS in work zones in Effingham, Illinois; Mount Vernon, Illinois; Salt Lake City, Utah; Orem/Provo, Utah; and Las Vegas, 

Nevada in 2012; interviews with agency officials from five States that are active in work zone ITS; and interviews with four 

experienced work zone ITS vendors. These lessons are provided below.

Key Takeaways
WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE PROCUREMENT 49

•	Agencies need to consider the necessary personnel experience for operating and maintaining work zone ITS before deciding

whether to purchase or lease work zone ITS, so that the procured system can be effectively operated and maintained. 

•	Regardless of whether ITS is procured directly by an agency or indirectly through a construction contract, it is important

that there be expertise available locally (either on agency, contractor, or vendor staff) who are tasked with day-to-day 

responsibility for operations and maintenance of the system to enable quick response and resolution of issues. 

•	Typically, for indirect procurements it is better to include work zone ITS as part of the construction contract than as an 	 	

addition through a change order to minimize costs and reduce frustration. In addition, change orders over a given amount or 

percent on a project may require high-level administrative approval before procurement, which can delay when the system 

can be obtained and deployed.

•	While change orders are not the preferred procurement approach, agencies should also recognize the potential need for

change orders to modify or enhance the system once it is implemented and operational experience is gained regarding 

actual work zone impacts.

•	Hybrid approaches that mix two or more of the procurement approaches discussed herein are possible. For example, an

agency may choose to purchase a COTS system itself through a low-bid selection process, and then hire a vendor to deploy, 

calibrate, and operate the system on an as-directed basis through a low-bid or other type of selection process. As another 

example, an agency could specify that the contractor obtain a COTS system for the purpose of providing queue warning 

protection upstream of temporary lane closures, considering the payment for the system as a type of mobilization cost. Then, 

each time the system needs to be deployed, a per-use or per-day fee could be negotiated with the contractor to cover labor 

costs for deployment, operation, and retrieval.

•	In some cases, agencies will specify that project funding will be withheld if ITS components are not maintained in a 	 	

satisfactory operating condition as one way of increasing its importance with the contractor. 

•	It is important to remember that 3rd party traffic data collected primarily by vehicle probes can provide good work zone travel

time and delay information, but will be less sensitive to the onset of queues that form until the queues reach a substantial 

length. Only those vendors that can provide spot speed data will be effective for supporting queue detection and warning 

systems.

•	The addition of work zone ITS to a contract through 	 	

a change order can be daunting for some contractors, 

who tend to be risk-averse. If the contractor does not 

have experience with similar issues or work zone ITS, 

the change order may be resisted and/or priced higher 

than might otherwise have occurred if included in the 

original bid documents, and the agency may have 

difficulty obtaining what was desired. 

•	Benefits to the contractor of a work zone ITS 	 	 	

deployment, such as reduced delivery times or 

reduced litigation potential, are typically not considered 

or quantified by the contractor. 

•	Work zone ITS is often a small piece of an overall 	 	

construction contract and therefore may not seem to 

warrant much effort or attention by the contractor.

Vendor Perspectives

•	Not all agencies adequately verify that all required 	 	

aspects of the bid specifications are met by the 

selected vendor prior to deployment of the system, or 

even once the system is deployed. The specification 

often does not spell out exactly what will happen should 

the system not meet the criteria in the contract (such as 

overall accuracy of each sensor, or the accuracy of the 

overall travel time that is estimated through the system). 

Tip: Strategies for Successful Procurement. 

As a result, some vendors may propose on a project 

even if they are less than fully certain that they meet all 

the specification elements, since the consequences of 

not fully meeting the full specification are outweighed by 

the potential benefit of winning the contract. 

•	Some vendors prefer bid specifications that specify

how much of each type of equipment is to be procured 

and deployed for a given work zone, so that 

competitive bids can be developed. Others prefer 

that the specifications only identify the functions and 

level of performance required, and allow the vendor to 

propose the number and location of devices that would 

meet the specification.

•	Agencies who would like to see innovation in best

value proposals should consider stating so in the 

bid documents. Otherwise, best value procurement 

requirements could restrict vendors from proposing 

innovative strategies that may be new but untested, 

given rapid changes in work zone ITS technologies. 

•	A standalone ITS contract allows the vendor to 	 	

focus on the work zone ITS, as opposed to an indirect 

procurement where the contractor has its primary focus 

on the construction project itself.
50 PROCUREMENT WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE
WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE SYSTEM DEPLOYMENT 51

STEP 5

SYSTEM DEPLOYMENT

The planning, design, and procurement efforts culminate 

in the actual deployment of the selected work zone ITS. 

Although considerable effort may have already gone 

into earlier steps in getting ready for deployment, this 

is the point at which things can really get busy. Unlike 

permanent ITS deployments which are typically the 

objective and focal point of efforts, a work zone ITS 

deployment must be matched to the overarching goal of 

completing whatever construction project or projects are 

necessitating the work zone in the first place. A work zone 

deployment becomes another cog in the overall project to 

be coordinated, managed, and otherwise adjusted so as 

to achieve the main desired goal: to complete the tasks 

required correctly, on time, and within budget while at the 

same time minimizing the impacts of those tasks upon the 

public, especially the traveling public. 

As those who have been involved in performing and 

completing a work zone project can attest, project 

coordination involves chasing a constantly changing 

target in many cases. Field changes in project scope, 

phasing, scheduling, etc. can all affect how a work 

Figure 20. Sub-steps to be explored in Step 5.

zone ITS component fits and will work as a mitigation 

strategy. Even if such changes in a project do not occur, 

it is not known for certain how effective a particular ITS 

application will be until it is deployed. Consequently, 

field adjustments to the system are often necessary. 

Additional equipment may be needed because impacts 

exceed what was anticipated, or system operation may 

need to be altered to improve driver understanding 

and response to the system. These changes may be 

needed immediately upon deployment, or develop when 

the project changes to a new phase with a different 

maintenance-of-traffic (MOT) approach. As such, 

system deployment is not so much as step as it is a 

process.

System deployment includes initial implementation, 

as well as scheduling decisions, systems acceptance 

testing, and handling major deployment issues, as 

depicted in Figure 20. Deploying the system should be 

done in coordination with the deployment of other TMP 

strategies.

Source: Battelle

Handling 

major

deployment

issues

5.4

Systems

acceptence

testing

5.3

Implementing

the system

plans

Scheduling

decisions

5.1 5.2

05
52 SYSTEM DEPLOYMENT WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

5.1 Implementing the system plans

The role of an agency during system deployment 

depends on the size and complexity of the system, 

whether it is a COTS system or a unique system 

designed to address a highly specialized need, 

and whether it is to operate independently or be 

integrated into other ITS operational components in 

the region. For small, COTS systems that are intended 

to operate independently, agency involvement during 

deployment may consist of the project engineer and 

inspectors keeping track of the system and monitoring 

and validating the information being collected and 

disseminated. For larger and/or more novel or 

complex deployments and deployments that involve 

integration with existing ITS components, the level of 

agency involvement may span across several offices 

and divisions, and require significant staff time to test, 

troubleshoot, validate, monitor, and maintain the system.

Personnel with expertise in ITS deployment must be 

available through all steps of the deployment. For COTS 

systems, that expertise often resides with the vendor; 

for customized system designs, such expertise may 

need to reside with the agency or the consultant hired 

to design and oversee the deployment of the system. 

For customized system designs or deployments that 

are connected to existing permanent ITS infrastructure, 

it is also vital that key staff understand the overall vision 

developed in Step 2 and the requirements defined in 

Step 3. Subcontractors may look at each requirement 

individually, but not take into account the overall system 

vision. Such a “stove pipe” analysis can result in an 

installation that, while consistent with the literal system 

requirements, does not support the overall vision and 

other TMP strategies as intended. 

5.2 Scheduling decisions

Scheduling can play a major role in the deployment of 

ITS applications for work. Testing and ultimate system 

calibration can take longer than anticipated, for example. 

It is critical that a work zone ITS deployment be available 

and functioning at the beginning of a project or major 

phase change for which it is intended, as this is the time 

when drivers first encounter unexpected conditions and 

need real-time information.

Scheduling decisions could include:

•	Plan for sufficient lead time to deploy: Some 

agencies that are incorporating work zone ITS 

deployments into their construction contracts require 

that the system be operating before actual construction 

work starts. Contractors need to allow sufficient time 

for this requirement in their overall project scheduling. 

Agencies or their consultants who are deploying work 

zone ITS themselves to support a particular project 

need to plan sufficient lead time as well.

•	Plan for sufficient calibration time and effort: 

Systems that provide real-time travel time and delay 

information to motorists typically require some level of 

calibration to fine tune the values presented. Normally, 

this will need to occur after work and its associated 

congestion have begun. Efforts should be taken 

to ensure the availability of staff to assist during the 

calibration process very early in the project. Continued 

display of inaccurate travel times or delays will 

significantly erode credibility of the system with drivers, 

and make it more difficult to get drivers to react to the 

real-time information.

•	Consider the potential for the unexpected to 

occur: It can be difficult to predict in advance the 

traffic impacts that a work zone might generate, and 

thus the amount of coverage needed for a work zone 

ITS deployment. It can be beneficial for agencies 

to have contingency plans, or at least have options 

available to them, with regards to modifying the system 

slightly. For example, an agency can designate 

that the contractor obtain an initial work zone COTS 

system meeting a set of specifications and equipment 

requirements as part of the original bid process. 

However, if additional equipment or functionalities are 

later found to be required, the potential implications for 

using a change order process to obtain that additional 

equipment or functionality should be thought through.

Agencies should ensure that as much time as possible 

be built into the implementation process and construction 

schedule, especially with regard to system calibration 

and sensor programming. Systems can be developed 

and deployed in short timeframes when needed. 

Additionally, flexibility is important for the ITS deployment 

schedule due to uncertainties in the construction project 

schedule. The initiation or conclusion of a construction 

project, or individual phases of a project, often change 

due to a variety of factors. While delays may be more 

common, sometimes projects or project phases can 

begin or end earlier than planned with only short notice 

from the construction contractor or agency staff. If ITS 

changes are necessary between phases, paying closer 

attention to the schedule is warranted to minimize ITS 

downtime. On the other hand, the steps outlined in this 

guide do require time to complete, and so it is important 

to allow for sufficient time. 
WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE SYSTEM DEPLOYMENT 53

Problems will arise—such as the operation of sensors, communications (wireless or wired), calibration, or software—and will 

take time to address. These “bugs” require time to locate and address. Failure to allow for sufficient start-up time can lead to 

less than optimal performance of the system during the initial days of the project. Unfortunately, this is often the time at which 

the system is most needed, as drivers are encountering unexpected conditions due to the capacity and operational constraints 

imposed by the MOT plan, are surprised, and need and would benefit significantly from having improved information and 

guidance in how to best accommodate the work zone. 

Although it is desirable to begin the process for considering, planning, designing, and deploying a work zone ITS early in the 

overall project development process, circumstances sometimes dictate that an accelerated timeline be followed. It is important 

to recognize when such circumstances arise and to dedicate enough resources to be successful in meeting that timeline. 

For example, a work zone ITS deployment used on the Big I (I-40) project in Albuquerque, New Mexico, was able to go from 

concept to full operation in only 15 weeks. However, to accomplish this, the agency had to employ several experienced ITS 

contractors for the ITS design, system selection, and system installation. 

5.3 System acceptance testing

Before the work zone ITS is activated, system 

acceptance testing must be conducted. These tests 

should be comprehensive to ensure that all system 

requirements and user needs are met. System 

acceptance testing will follow the testing strategy 

proposed in substep 3.3 and will validate the 

functionality and accuracy of the work zone ITS to make 

sure the system is working as planned.

Following the test plans from substep 3.3, data sheets 

should be used to record test data and compare 

recorded results with expected results. Test reports 

should be compiled that document how well the system 

performed and any modifications that need to be made 

prior to system activation.

As applicable, driver capabilities should be re-examined 

at this time to verify that the system will be satisfactory 

from a human factors perspective. Messages displayed 

on CMS should follow current guidance to ensure 

that the information is clear, concise, and credible. 

Characteristics of the devices and their deployment 

locations should also be checked. For example, 

the size of the text on a message display must be 

sufficiently large and visible (a minimum of 18 inch 

characters for freeway conditions) so that drivers do 

not have to slow down to give themselves more time to 

read. Message boards should be checked to be sure 

they are positioned away from obstructions that might 

limit viewing times, such as piers, abutments, parked 

construction equipment, etc. 

5.4 Handling major deployment issues

Issues identified in system acceptance testing that 

are likely to affect deployment include problems with 

communications, power, sensors, and other system 

components deployed in the field. Communications 

can especially be a challenge in rural areas. While it 

is impossible to anticipate every possible contingency 

that could arise during deployment, availability of staff 

experienced in the deployment of ITS is one of the best 

means of mitigating issues that arise during deployment. 

The key is to prevent issues from arising in the first 

place by selecting an experienced/qualified contractor 

and providing sufficient time within the schedule to 

handle issues that are not anticipated. Maintaining 

flexibility is crucial, as unexpected things like parked 

construction vehicles, construction equipment storage, 

or law enforcement positioning in front of sensors can 

cause issues that will need to be addressed. Developing 

and sustaining good working relationships among 

project team members are helpful for when issues arise. 

Frequent communication within the team can also assist 

in this process by helping to establish a positive working 

relationship among contractors, ITS subcontractors (if 

used), and government agencies.

Other issues like construction design or plan changes 

can also affect the ITS deployment. For example, an 

initial decision to keep a particular entrance ramp open 

during a major freeway reconstruction project may be 

changed based on poor safety performance of similar 

entrance ramps experienced at an ongoing project 

immediately upstream. If the initial decision was to 

deploy a work zone ITS with temporary ramp metering at 

that entrance ramp, the ramp metering component might 

need to be eliminated.

Tip: Allow start-up time when deploying a system.

Tip: Quickly deploying work zone ITS is possible but can require extra resources. 
•	In this step, the work zone ITS is deployed following the system plans, schedule, and system acceptance test plans. 

•	Coordination of the deployment with other aspects of the project, including other TMP strategies, is important.

•	Deployment of the ITS must be considered a process. It should follow the implementation plan developed but be flexible to

deal with changes in overall work zone scope and scheduling, unanticipated driver needs and responses, and a wide range 

of field conditions and actions which could influence system operations. An example of such demonstrated flexibility is 

evident in the following case study in Salt Lake City.

54 SYSTEM DEPLOYMENT WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

Utah used performance-based specifications for work zone traffic control during a design-build project on SR 154 (Bangerter 

Highway) in Salt Lake City, developing and implementing a travel time monitoring system that used a Bluetooth address 

matching system. Utah DOT and the contractor spent a considerable amount of time once the antennas were deployed to 

fine-tune the overall operation of the system. A number of settings on the devices themselves had to be calibrated depending 

on how traffic was behaving near the antenna itself. Some of the calibration involved settings on the antenna itself, others 

in terms of how the data coming in from the detectors are handled during processing. It took the Utah DOT/contractor 

team a significant amount of time to understand the nuances of the system and to get the system to operate as desired. 

Another aspect of system operation that took some time for Utah DOT and the contractor to reach a consensus on was the 

minimum number of Bluetooth matches between antenna locations needed in a given time period to develop a good travel 

time estimate. Once calibrated, the system worked as intended, and yielded significant benefits to both Utah DOT and the 

contractor.

Example: Testing performance specifications – Salt Lake City, Utah.

Key Takeaways 
WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE SYSTEM OPERATION, MAINTENANCE, AND EVALUATION 55

STEP 6

SYSTEM OPERATION, 

MAINTENANCE, AND 

EVALUATION

This step covers system operation and maintenance and includes sections on dealing with changing work zone 

conditions, using and sharing ITS information, maintaining adequate staffing, modifying the strategy and plan based 

on operational results, and leveraging public support, as depicted in Figure 21.

Figure 21. Sub-steps to be explored in Step 6.

6.1 Dealing with changing work zone 

conditions

One of the challenges for agencies operating ITS 

applications in work zones is maintaining system 

performance while adapting the system to changing 

work zone conditions and roadway geometries. The 

system may have to be repositioned or adjusted for 

various phases of construction that may involve different 

lane shifts or capacity reductions, for example. Other 

unexpected activities, such as parked construction 

vehicles, construction equipment storage, or law 

enforcement positioning in front of sensors, can cause 

issues that will need to be addressed in a timely manner. 

Flexible and proven work zone ITS that can be dynamic 

or react in real-time is important for meeting realtime conditions. Not surprisingly, most agencies 

select highly portable systems built around proven 

technologies and wireless communications. Some 

systems have capabilities to communicate via cellular 

network or satellite depending on whether or not cellular 

communication is available in an area. 

The provision of power for work zone ITS is another 

important consideration. Many work zones are located 

in rural areas that will not have convenient, direct access 

to power. However, if a wired power source is used, 

fewer options may be available for moving the system 

as changes in the work zone arise. Portable systems 

are typically powered through batteries with solar arrays 

for charging, or by having vendor staff continuously 

charging spare components and switching out charged 

components as needed. Power levels of batteries 

should be monitored periodically to ensure adequate 

charge, particularly if overcast conditions may have 

reduced solar charging.

Conducting 

system 

monitoring 

and 

evaluation

6.5

Leveraging 

public 

support

6.4

Maintaining 

adequate 

staffing

6.3

Dealing 

with changing 

work zone 

conditions

Using and 

sharing ITS 

information

6.1 6.2

06

Source: Battelle
56 SYSTEM OPERATION, MAINTENANCE, AND EVALUATION WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

Supporting a changing work zone requires significant 

coordination among the construction team, agency 

staff, and ITS operators. These challenges illustrate 

the importance of these considerations in system 

planning in Step 2, as well as developing close working 

relationships in the earliest stages of the planning 

process.

6.2 Using and sharing ITS information

Information gathered from the work zone ITS might be 

used internally for traffic management purposes and 

to inform the use of other TMP strategies. Information 

about the work zone may provide insights about 

adjusting work zone hours, the lane closure schedule, 

the procedure to identify incidents, or fine tuning of 

alternate routes, diversion messages, or public outreach 

efforts.

Additionally, the benefits of the stakeholder relationshipbuilding conducted in earlier stages of the project begin 

to appear. It is important to keep the stakeholders 

informed throughout the system operation step to 

ensure that cooperation and support for the effort 

continues. Discussion regarding the work zone ITS 

might be combined with related meetings such as 

those on maintenance of traffic, which are a venue for 

sharing ITS information, getting stakeholder input, and 

coordinating with other TMP strategies and the rest of 

the project. However, it is also important not to overload 

stakeholder partners with too much information.

Work zone ITS differ in how they relay information to 

travelers via various media for pre-trip (i.e., website, 

email, text message) or en route (i.e., CMS or PCMS, 

HAR, in-vehicle navigational aids) decision making. 

In some systems, this information delivery is fully 

automated, whereas other systems require human 

confirmation of current traffic conditions and specific 

messages. Fully automated systems must be thoroughly 

and regularly tested to ensure that they are measuring 

conditions properly and that they are supplying the 

correct information for those measured conditions. 

Other ITS must be managed by operators, and require 

personnel to be available at all times while the system 

is running to confirm the conditions and to approve the 

message to be delivered to the travelers. Whichever 

option an agency chooses, the information delivered to 

travelers must be accurate; otherwise the public will lose 

confidence in the system.

Controls should be placed on message boards to 

prevent conflicting messages from being displayed along 

the same approach to the work zone area, to prevent 

messages from changing too often, and to prevent 

display of unhelpful information (e.g., work zone speed 

is 85 miles per hour). In addition, personnel from the 

implementing agency should have real-time access to 

archived system data in order to identify any issues and 

monitor system functionality. A website could easily 

provide password protected access to the data being 

used by the system to make decisions.

One of the most valuable products of ITS work zone 

applications is the development of real-time information 

that can be disseminated to a wide variety of users. 

ITS work zone systems collect data from several 

different types of roadside systems, process the data, 

and – with minimal human interaction – translate those 

data into valuable information for facility operators, 

emergency responders, and the traveling public. 

Provision of information can be a key in developing and 

maintaining stakeholder relationships, especially those 

involving agencies in other jurisdictions. Users of the 

information provided by the system may include state 

DOTs, the public and road users, nearby businesses 

and employers, media outlets, contractors, trucking 

companies, fleet operators, emergency services 

providers, motorist assistance patrols, neighboring 

jurisdictions, and third party traveler information 

providers.

A common method of information dissemination is 

through websites operated by state DOTs and other 

agencies. These websites also frequently include closed 

circuit television (CCTV) imagery from the ITS, which tend 

to be popular with travelers. Dissemination of this high 

For example, queues may be longer or shorter than 

what was estimated before construction actually started. 

Personnel should monitor conditions in the field such that 

if queues regularly extend beyond the system signs (or 

detectors), the agency/contractor can consider adjusting 

the placement of the system components to make the most 

effective use of the system or adding additional devices to 

extend coverage.

Key Point: Sometimes conditions in the field may 

differ from what was expected during systems 

planning and design, and adjustments may be 

needed.

It is important to assess and update expectations based 

on true experiences of the deployment in the work zone. 

The deployment may have greater or lesser impacts than 

originally anticipated, and it is important for stakeholders to 

understand why that is the case. 

Tip: Manage expectations. 

!
WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE SYSTEM OPERATION, MAINTENANCE, AND EVALUATION 57

quality information not only contributes to the operation 

of the system, but also builds credibility for the operating 

agency with the traveling public.

Finally, it is important that data be archived or reported in 

a way that will be accessible and useful for evaluation of 

effectiveness. Data are required for project performance 

monitoring in real time, for post-project assessments 

of impacts that could be fed back to project designers 

to aid future project designs, and for agency process 

reviews, and assessment of work zone policies and 

procedures as required in federal regulations.

For example, many agencies specify maximum delay or 

queue length/duration thresholds that will be tolerated 

as part of their overall bid documents for a project. 

However, very few employ any type of actual monitoring 

efforts to aid field inspectors in determining if such 

threshold are being exceeded (and thus a need to shut 

down the activity causing the impacts), or to implement 

any type of penalties or damages for violating the 

thresholds. Archived work zone ITS data can provide an 

accurate, objective measure for such efforts.

As another example, work zone ITS data can be used 

during the project to help accelerate project activities 

and result in a quicker overall project with reduced 

impacts to the public. Many agencies have established 

hours that lane closures are restricted from occurring on 

high-volume roadways due to concerns over excessive 

delays and queues. However, oftentimes these 

restrictions are not tailored to the travel patterns that 

exist at a given project, but are agency-wide restrictions. 

During one recent arterial reconstruction project in Salt 

Lake City, work zone ITS was used to by the contractor 

to justify requests to Utah DOT to increase the allowable 

lane closure hours, still avoiding peak travel times and 

directions, that allowed the project to be completed 

faster than expected and not result in significant queues 

or delays for the traveling public. 

As part of post-project assessments and overall process 

reviews, having more data available allows for a more 

thorough analysis and better conclusions. Work zone 

ITS, depending on the technology deployed, can assist 

an agency in assessing the frequency, duration, and 

magnitude of impacts that actually occurred. These 

can then be provided back to the work zone designers 

to compare against the results of their analyses. If 

their initial analyses were incorrect, it is often possible 

to determine the reasons for the incorrect outputs (i.e., 

error in estimating work zone capacity, diversion rates, 

etc.). This is an approach that the Michigan DOT has 

used regularly for its major work zones across the 

state. Consolidated across several projects, these work 

zone ITS data can also aid an agency in conducting 

its required bi-annual work process review. Basic 

performance measures can be determined for each 

project, such as45:

•	Maximum person throughput during peak hour;

•	Average per-vehicle delay during lane closure hours;

•	Percent of time when delays exceed the established

maximum threshold;

•	Percent of travelers experiencing a traffic queue; and

•	Change in peak-period buffer time through a project.

Once project-specific measures are obtained and 

examined, it is also possible to aggregate across 

projects to develop an agency-wide perspective of 

performance. Examples of process-level measures for 

an agency could include:

•	Percent of projects where delays exceeded the 	 	

maximum threshold; 

•	Percent of projects experiencing increases in peak-	

period buffer indices by more than xx percent; and

•	Percent of projects experiencing traffic queues greater

than some maximum threshold for some maximum 

duration.

If inaccurate information is provided, the public can quickly 

lose confidence, resulting in negative public relations.

Tip: It is important to ensure that information 

delivered to the public is as accurate as 

possible.

Particularly with an automated information delivery system, 

it is possible to deliver too much information for the agency 

and its partner agencies to process effectively. The 

frequency, usefulness, and volume of information delivered 

to managers and partners needs to be appropriate or it will 

likely be discarded or ignored. Many ITS applications can 

be set to automatically deliver texts or e-mails to the agency 

or partners such as the media and public safety agencies. 

If the thresholds for delivery of these messages are not 

carefully considered, a recipient may be inundated with 

information and unable to sort out what is useful.

Tip: Carefully consider how to set up 

automated information delivery and sharing 

with other agencies.

45Ullman, G.L. et al. Guidance on Data Needs, Availability, and Opportunities for Work Zone Performance Measurement. Report FHWA-HOP-13-011. FHWA, U.S. 

Department of Transportation, Washington, DC, March 2013. 
58 SYSTEM OPERATION, MAINTENANCE, AND EVALUATION WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

6.3 Maintaining adequate staffing

If operations and maintenance are contracted out, it is 

the contractor’s responsibility to ensure that adequate, 

trained staff is available. However, if in-house staff are 

engaged, the agency must take steps to ensure that it 

has multiple staff members trained in system operations, 

maintenance, and troubleshooting. If these steps are 

not taken, the retirement or vacation of a key person may 

cripple the operation of the system or result in additional 

costs. It is in the agency’s best interest to select a set of 

project personnel who are expected to be available for 

the duration of the project.

6.4 Leveraging public support

A common thread that runs through comments made by 

agency personnel responsible for implementing ITS in 

work zones is the need to engage the public during the 

earliest stages of the project. Publicizing the advanced 

features of the work zone system and the type of 

information that will be available to the public is the first 

stage in developing public support for these systems. In 

this early stage, while it is important to share potential 

system benefits with the public, it is likewise important 

to temper expectations of the system, in case any of the 

benefits do not ultimately develop. Support from the 

public and elected officials combined with quantified 

benefits will help to ensure long-term funding availability 

for appropriate applications of ITS in future work zones.

6.5 Conducting system monitoring and 

evaluation

It is important to monitor the work zone ITS during its 

operation to ensure that it is working correctly and 

meeting the needs of its users, and that the vendor 

is meeting contract obligations. The data collected 

and analyzed over the course of the project can then 

be used as part of a more comprehensive evaluation 

at the conclusion of the project. In some instances, it 

may be necessary to modify the deployment to improve 

operations based on the results from system monitoring.

6.5.1 System monitoring

System monitoring and evaluation will be conducted 

based on the evaluation plan from Step 3. Data 

should be collected throughout the course of the 

ITS deployment according to the plan. Various data 

elements can be analyzed periodically throughout the 

course of the project to assess the system performance. 

It is expected that some data elements will be monitored 

and analyzed more frequently than others, e.g., on a 

daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly basis. Data should be 

used to determine whether system modifications are 

needed, and also assess the impacts of work zone 

operations on safety and mobility in the work zone.

Data alone will not be able to address all aspects of the 

ITS deployment that need to be monitored. Agency staff 

also need to make observations in the field, which can 

be logged as qualitative data. Together, the quantitative 

data and qualitative observations will help ensure that the 

system is working correctly or identify any changes that 

may need to be made. For example, system monitoring 

may show that it takes a long time to recover from the 

queues that develop before the system puts diversion 

messages on the PCMS. This may lead to changing the 

threshold for when diversion messages are displayed 

(e.g., from 3 mile queues to 2-mile queues). Depending 

on the location, scale, and duration of the project, it 

may be desirable to have cameras in the field for staff 

to monitor traffic conditions from an off-site location 

to validate sensor data and system-generated PCMS 

messages with observations. If issues are identified, they 

should be addressed immediately with the appropriate 

staff, i.e., contractor, vendor, or agency. It is important 

for the agency to then ensure that adjustments have 

corrected the problem and are made in a timely manner.

System monitoring must be in line with the expectations 

of all groups that require feedback regarding the work 

zone ITS deployment. While system monitoring occurs 

for the entirety of the deployment, the detail of any 

ongoing monitoring and evaluation reports will likely 

vary at different intervals throughout the course of the 

project. Some DOTs maintain dashboards with various 

performance measures, which may require certain inputs 

from the deployment on a monthly basis, for example. 

Agency managers may request updates on a weekly 

basis, with more detailed reports on a quarterly basis. 

System monitoring must be scheduled in a way that 

meets these expectations.

Many work zones consist of multiple phases and many 

different tasks, which may or may not impact travelers. 

An evaluation of a work zone ITS deployment should be 

designed to evaluate effectiveness during those times 

and locations where impacts were expected to be most 

•	Is the system working correctly? Are messages accurate

based on conditions?

•	Is the vendor meeting the contract? Are issues being 	

addressed promptly?

•	What are the data saying about work zone operations and

safety and mobility in the work zone?

•	Does the system need to be adjusted (e.g., adjust 	 	

thresholds, change the wording or timing of PCMS 

messages, reposition sensors, add sensors)?

Tip: Questions to consider as you monitor the 

system during deployment.
WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE SYSTEM OPERATION, MAINTENANCE, AND EVALUATION 59

Figure 22. PCMS messages were modified from a generic message (left) as stated in the contract to a more specific message (right).

Agency and contractor staff should monitor work zone 

conditions, whether formally or informally, to identify ways 

to improve the system. A traffic management system 

was procured as part of the overall bid by the contractor 

for a work zone project on the I-70/I-57 interchange in 

Effingham, Illinois. Several PCMS were deployed as per 

the bid specification. Initially, PCMS displayed messages 

as called out in the contract, as shown on the left in Figure 

22. However, as both Illinois DOT and the contractor 

gained experience with the system and with how motorists 

responded to the various messages presented, changes 

to some PCMS messages were made, deviating from the 

contract. This included the display of specific speeds 

downstream as shown on the right in Figure 22. For 

example, the presentation of a given speed (as opposed to 

a generic “REDUCE SPEED AHEAD” message) was felt to 

elicit greater compliance by approaching motorists.

Other modifications may require additional funding. On 

a different project on the I-57/I-64 interchange in Mount 

Vernon, Illinois, queues occurred that were longer than 

originally expected. A change order was executed to add 

sensors and PCMS to the work zone traffic monitoring 

system that had already been deployed.

Example: Making modifications to work zone ITS 

deployments – Illinois.

significant. The average delay per vehicle computed 

over an entire project may be very small, for example, if 

most of the work occurs off the roadway and only one 

or two days of work involves reductions in travel lanes. 

During those one or two days of lane closures, though, 

the average delay per vehicle will be much higher, and 

the effect of the work zone ITS on this delay is what will 

be of most interest to the agency. In other words, a 

work zone ITS evaluation must be carefully coordinated 

with field personnel to ensure that the evaluation is both 

appropriate and meaningful. 

The work zone ITS evaluation should be done within 

the context of the TMP implementation, monitoring, 

and evaluation of the project. Data collected by the 

work zone ITS and the evaluation of the work zone ITS 

deployment may also inform an evaluation of other TMP 

strategies being used. 

6.5.2 System modification

System monitoring may identify areas where 

modifications might be made to improve the 

performance of the work zone ITS. Discussions with 

stakeholders can also help to identify adjustments that 

are needed to system operation or information delivery 

mechanisms, content, and timing. For example, it may 

become apparent that additional sensor coverage is 

needed in a certain location because feedback from 

customers indicates that travel times being posted 

to PCMS are not as accurate as expected. In other 

instances, equipment (e.g., CMS) might be more 

effective if repositioned or by changing CMS messages 

for better user understanding.

Modification of a work zone ITS application will depend 

on both the scope of the system and the duration of 

the work zone. Adjustments to the deployment can 

sometimes be made without significant change orders 

or other efforts. Many of these adjustments do not 

require funding, but some may have additional costs 

that could pose a challenge for funding. Ideally, costly 

changes will be avoided through good system planning. 

In some cases, there may simply not be enough time 

to evaluate the system thoroughly, make changes, 

and then implement those changes in the midst of an 

ongoing construction project. However, some informal 

assessment of the system is always possible in order to 

verify the system is operating properly.

Source: FHWA
60 SYSTEM OPERATION, MAINTENANCE, AND EVALUATION WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

A work zone ITS was deployed at the I-70/I-57 interchange 

in Effingham to mitigate the potential for end-of-queue 

crashes occurring due to traffic incidents or temporary 

lane closures within the project limits. An assessment of 

crashes occurring during the two construction seasons 

of the deployment suggests that the system was useful 

and effective. From the first year to the second year of 

construction, the number of lane closure days increased, 

as did the amount of traffic exposure through the project. 

Even so, preliminary analysis by the Illinois DOT found that 

crashes decreased slightly, including end-of-queue crashes. 

Specifically, from 2010 (prior to system implementation) 

and 2011 (after system implementation) saw nearly a 14 

percent decrease in queuing crashes, and an 11 percent 

reduction in injury crashes, despite a 52 percent increase 

in the number of days when temporary lane closures 

were implemented in the project. Although it is not 

certain whether the queuing frequencies and conditions 

between the two years were similar, the trends were very 

encouraging. 

An FHWA study of work zone ITS deployments revealed 

that 50 percent to 80 percent of surveyed drivers diverted at 

least sometimes due to messages provided on travel time, 

delay, or alternate routes. The same study noted 56 percent 

to 60 percent reductions in queue lengths were possible. 

Finally, it was found that speed monitoring displays could 

reduce speeds by 4-6 mph, with one study finding a 20 

percent to 40 percent reduction in vehicles traveling at least 

10 mph over the speed limit with these devices present. 

(see http://www.its.dot.gov/jpodocs/repts_te/14320.htm).

The results, conclusions, and recommendations of 

the evaluation should be documented in a final report. 

These results can be used not only by the project 

partners for continual refinement of similar systems at 

other locations, but also by others wanting to implement 

similar systems in the future. The report might also 

be utilized to justify investments in work zone ITS 

deployments. ITS evaluation final reports can be entered 

in the ITS Benefits and Unit Cost Database,46 so that the 

evaluation results can be shared with other interested 

transportation professionals.

Example: Effectiveness of a work zone ITS 

deployment – Effingham, Illinois.

Example: Effectiveness of work zone ITS 

deployment – Comparative Analysis.

46The database is available online at: http://www.benefitcost.its.dot.gov; the website has instructions on how to contribute.

6.5.3 Final evaluation

At the conclusion of the system deployment, a final 

evaluation should be conducted. A major objective 

of the final evaluation is to document lessons learned 

and benefits of the ITS deployment. This might include 

the collection of some final qualitative data from 

stakeholders, e.g., surveys or interviews. Analysis of 

all collected quantitative and qualitative data that has 

been collected over the course of the project should 

be conducted as described by the evaluation plan 

developed in substep 3.8. Examples of the results of 

two such evaluations are presented below.

•	 In this step, the work zone ITS becomes operational in the field with appropriate staff operating and monitoring the

deployment, as necessary. 

•	 Flexibility is important. Agency or contractor staff need to be available to make adjustments, as necessary, due to changing

work zone conditions and findings from ongoing system monitoring and evaluation. 

•	 A final evaluation should be conducted to include findings from any available data and detail the benefits and lessons

learned from the system. 

Key Takeaways
WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE APPENDIX A 61

National ITS Architecture provides a framework for planning, designing, and integrating ITS. It provides important 

standards for hardware components and software that will allow for integration with other systems. The architecture 

includes:

•	Function – what the system will do;

•	Location – where the information will reside; and

•	Integration – path that allows information to flow among the physical components.

The use of ITS in work zones has grown to the point that steps have been taken toward its inclusion in the 

National ITS Program Plan and the National ITS Architecture 7.0.47 The work zone related portions of the National 

Architecture can help to define the functionality of the work zone system and are also useful in developing functional 

specifications.

The Maintenance And Construction Operations (MCO) User Service Description features work zone management 

and safety as one of its main functional areas. The MCO User Service underscores the value of work zone 

information and smart work zones when states and regions establish regional ITS architectures for ITS deployment.

MCO User Service functional areas include:

•	Maintenance Vehicle Fleet Management: monitors and tracks locations and conditions of fleets of maintenance, 	 	

construction, and specialized service vehicles

•	Roadway Management: monitors and forecasts conditions and manages treatment of roadways during various 	 	

travel conditions

•	Work Zone Management and Safety: supports effective and efficient roadway operations during work zone 	 	

activities

•	Roadway Maintenance Conditions and Work Plan Dissemination: coordinates work plans and communicates 	 	

conditions

Appendix A. National ITS Architecture

47For more information about the National ITS Architecture, see http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/its_arch_imp
62 APPENDIX A WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

8.1.3 Maintenance and Construction 

Operations shall provide a Work Zone 

Management and Safety (WZMS) 

function, which provides support for 

the effectiveness, safety, and efficiency 

of roadway operations during all work 

zone activities. This function includes 

interactions among Traffic Managers, 

Supervisors, Dispatchers, Field Crews, 

Construction Crews, Public Safety 

Organizations, Information Service 

Providers, and Travelers.

8.1.3.1 WZMS shall monitor, control, and 

direct activity in the vicinity of work 

zones.

8.1.3.1.1 WZMS shall provide information about 

work zones, including but not limited 

to:

8.1.3.1.1(a) Anticipated delays

8.1.3.1.1(b) Alternate routes

8.1.3.1.1(c) Suggested speed limit

8.1.3.1.2 WZMS shall provide support for 

automated speed enforcement around 

work zones.

8.1.3.1.3 WZMS shall be able to divert vehicles 

around work zones via automated lane 

changing techniques.

8.1.3.1.3.1 WZMS shall collect information used 

to support automated lane changing, 

including but not limited to:

8.1.3.1.3.1(a) Volume

8.1.3.1.3.1(b) Occupancy

8.1.3.1.3.1(c) Speed

8.1.3.1.3.1(d) Headways

8.1.3.1.3.1(e) Vehicle characteristics

8.1.3.1.3.1(f) Merging distance

8.1.3.1.3.2 WZMS shall support archiving of field 

data.

8.1.3.1.3.3 WZMS shall support use of field 

data for developing AHS-merging 

strategies.

8.1.3.2 WZMS shall support the management 

of data about work zones.

8.1.3.2.1 WZMS shall collect information 

concerning work zone activities, 

including but not limited to:

8.1.3.2.1(a) Location

8.1.3.2.1(b) Nature / type

8.1.3.2.1(c) Scheduled start time

8.1.3.2.1(d) Duration

8.1.3.2.1(e) Lane shifts

8.1.3.2.1(f) Staging areas

8.1.3.2.1(g) Length of work zone

8.1.3.2.1(h) Scheduled phases of work zone 

configuration

8.1.3.2.1(i) Alternate routes

8.1.3.2.1(j) Anticipated delays for travel route

8.1.3.2.1(k) Anticipated delays for diversion route

8.1.3.2.2 WZMS shall correlate planned 

activities with actual work.

8.1.3.2.3 WZMS shall support preparation of 

reports on work zone activities.

8.1.3.2.4 WZMS shall provide information on 

work zone activities to other agencies, 

including but not limited to:

8.1.3.2.4(a) Other maintenance and construction 

operations systems

8.1.3.2.4(b) Commercial vehicle fleets

8.1.3.2.4(c) Emergency vehicle fleets

8.1.3.2.4(d) Traveler information systems

8.1.3.2.4(e) Traffic management systems

8.1.3.3 WZMS shall provide systems that 

communicate reliable, accurate, and 

timely traveler information, 

including but not limited to:

8.1.3.3(a) Location, including lane closure 

information

8.1.3.3(b) Alternate route / detour

8.1.3.3(c) Work zone speed limit

8.1.3.3(d) Delay

8.1.3.4 WZMS shall support the provision of 

vehicle intrusion warnings.

8.1.3.5 WZMS shall be capable of tracking 

individual crew movements.

MCO User Service Requirements that pertain to work zone management and safety are:
WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE APPENDIX B 63

Primary resources

•	FHWA Work Zone Mobility and Safety Program – numerous resources to help transportation professionals 		 	

familiarize themselves with work zone planning, analysis, and traffic management and with the current 

state of the practice on ITS in work zones (http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz).

•	American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) ITS Council. “ITS Safety and Mobility Solutions: Improving 	 	

Travel Through America’s Work Zones.” This describes various ITS applications for work zones and potential 

benefits, considerations for use, and system layouts (http://www.atssa.com/galleries/default-file/2008July21_ITS_ 

Safety_and_Mobility.pdf).

•	American Association of State and Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) – a work zone ITS site as part of its 	 	

System Operations and Management Subcommittee, including evaluation reports, sample specifications/ 

standards, and drawings (http://ssom.transportation.org/Pages/ITSinWorkZones.aspx).

Published documents and resources to support ITS strategic planning 

•	“Best Practices of Rural and Statewide ITS Strategic Planning” (http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/jpodocs/repts_te/13608.pdf).

•	“Regional ITS Architecture Guidance” by the National Architecture Team (http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/		

regitsarchguide/raguide.pdf). 

•	The ITS Architecture Implementation Program (http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/its_arch_imp).

•	Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) ITS JPO (http://www.its.dot.gov).

•	FHWA guide “Work Zone Public Information and Outreach Strategies” – designed to help agencies plan implement 	

effective public information and outreach campaigns to mitigate the negative effects of work zones (http://www.ops. 

fhwa.dot.gov/wz/info_and_outreach/public_outreach_guide.pdf).

•	The FHWA Peer-to-Peer Program for Work Zones – contains materials from a Work Zone ITS Peer Exchange 	 	

Workshop conducted in May 2013 (http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/p2p/). 

Helpful publications for work zone ITS solutions

•	“Advancing Metropolitan Planning for Operations: The Building Blocks of a Model Transportation Plan Incorporating

Operations – A Desk Reference” (http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop10027).

•	“Designing for Transportation Management and Operations: A Primer” (http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/	 	

fhwahop13013/index.htm). 

•	The FHWA ATDM program presents numerous strategies that may be effectively utilized in work zones (http://www.	 	

ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop12032). 

•	The Caltrans “Systems Engineering Guidebook For ITS” (http://www.dot.ca.gov/newtech/docs/se_guidebook_ver1-		

12_14_05.pdf).

Guidance for the use of work zone safety and mobility performance measures

•	“A Primer on Work Zone Safety and Mobility Performance Measurement” offers information for understanding data 	 	

requirements for generating useful performance measures (http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/resources/publications/ 

fhwahop11033/fhwahop11033.pdf). 

•	“Work Zone Performance Measures Pilot Test” summarizes lessons learned through the identification and testing 	 	

of a candidate set of work zone mobility-related performance measures at five projects nationwide (http://www.ops. 

fhwa.dot.gov/wz/resources/publications/fhwahop11022).

•	“Guidance on Data Needs, Availability, and Opportunities for Work Zone Performance Measures” provides more 	 	

in-depth information and guidance on the usefulness of various measures, and the data necessary to develop and 

use them effectively (http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/decision_support/performance-development.htm).

Appendix B. Summary of Resources 

Reported in this Document
64 APPENDIX B WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

Use of private sector data for work zone performance measurement

•	Middleton, D. et al. Synthesis of TxDOT Uses of Real-Time Commercial Traffic Data. Report No. FHWA/TX-12/0-	 	

6659-1. Texas Transportation Institute, College Station, TX. January 2012.

•	Edwards, M.B. and M.D. Fontaine. Investigation of Travel Time Reliability in Work Zones with Private-Sector Data. 	 	

In Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board No. 2272. TRB of the National 

Academies, Washington, DC. 2012. pp. 9-18.

•	Turner, S. et al. Private Sector Data for Performance Measurement – Final Report. Report No. FHWA-HOP-11-029. 	 	

FHWA, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC. July 2011. 

Professional development in work zone ITS 

•	The National Highway Institute (NHI) offers courses addressing a wide variety of aspects of ITS, including systems 	 	

engineering, project management, telecommunications, software acquisition, and ITS procurement 

(http://www.pcb.its.dot.gov).

•	Web-based courses are available through the Consortium for ITS Training and Education (CITE, http://www.	 	

citeconsortium.org).

•	LTAP resources are also available for work zones and ITS (http://www.ltap.org/resources/searchdbs.php).

Helpful resources for evaluating and comparing options for ITS deployment

•	Benefit/cost analysis is one useful tool in evaluating and comparing multiple options for ITS deployment, including 	 	

the option not to deploy ITS in the work zone at all. The ITS Benefits and Costs Database (www.benefitcost.its.dot. 

gov) can be a useful resource. The database includes unit cost data for many of the ITS items related to work 

zones.

•	The ITS Deployment Analysis System (IDAS) is a software tool that estimates the costs and benefits of ITS 	 	 	

investments (http://idas.camsys.com).

•	QuickZone is a spreadsheet developed by the FHWA, which provides a general and quick work zone traffic impact 		

analysis capability (Information at: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/research/topics/operations/travelanalysis/quickzone/ 

•	The FHWA Traffic Analysis Toolbox includes guides for work zone modeling and simulation (http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/	

trafficanalysistools).

•	Criteria for Portable ATIS [Advanced Traveler Information Systems] in Work Zones: Lane Merge, Travel Time and 	 	

Speed Advisory Systems, Horowitz, 2005 (http://www.ctre.iastate.edu/smartwz/details.cfm?projectid=10)

•	Operational and Safety Benefits of Using ITS in Work Zones, Fontaine, 2005 (http://ssom.transportation.org/Pages/	 	

Sept2005Workshop.aspx)

•	The USDOT ITS Joint Program Office (USDOT ITS JPO) has developed the ITS Evaluation Resource Guide to assist

agencies in conducting evaluations of ITS projects (http://www.its.dot.gov/eval/eguide_resguide.htm).

•	The work zone performance measures primer is a useful source of information for understanding data requirements		

for generating useful performance measures (http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/resources/publications/fhwahop11033/ 

fhwahop11033.pdf).

•	The “Operations Benefit/Cost Analysis Desk Reference” might also serve as useful guidance for benefit-cost 	 	

analyses (http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop12028).
WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE APPENDIX C 65

Below is a list of key points and tips that have been presented throughout this work zone ITS implementation guide.

Step 1 – Assessment of Needs

•	Key Point: Work zone ITS is one of several tools available to address specific safety and mobility issues 

in work zones. If goals and objectives become more manageable to achieve through a different technique, that 

technique should be selected instead of ITS. Other strategies may be more economical and effective in meeting 

goals and objectives.

•	Tip: Have realistic expectations. Although some ITS applications may be promoted as a catch-all solution to 

safety and capacity problems, field testing has not always shown conclusive benefits. Work zone ITS should be 

well designed and smartly applied to scenarios in which benefits are most likely to be achieved. 

•	Tip: Be sure that the work zone ITS fully captures the range of impacts for which it is intended. This is 

particularly important for deployments that are intended to convey delay or queue length information to users. In 

some deployments, work zone impacts periodically extended beyond the limits of the ITS devices. When this 

happened, the system was unable to provide accurate information. More importantly, the motorists sat through 

several minutes of delay before encountering a message that there were delays and reduced speeds in the work 

zone. This severely limited the credibility, usefulness, and benefits of the system.

•	Tip: Stakeholder agencies, besides the deploying agency, need to be involved early. Coordination with 

other agencies is a primary issue that should be considered both in developing and implementing an ITS work 

zone. This will be important for determining how the system can work within each agency’s existing procedures.

Step 2 – Concept Development and Feasibility

•	Key point: Not all ITS deployments are complicated and expensive. For example, an additional temporary 

traffic sensor or two may be all that is needed to expand or enhance an existing permanent ITS deployment to be 

an effective tool for managing traffic impacts at a particular work zone. This was the approach taken during the 

I-15 CORE project in central Utah. 

•	Tip: Systems need to have reliable communications. The communications network for an ITS application 

is vital to the operation of the system and must be reliable. Issues that may impact communications need to be 

addressed early in the system development and deployment process. What may seem like a trivial issue at the 

outset may evolve into a more difficult problem when deploying or operating the system. Such issues include 

whether adequate cellular capacity is available and whether there are obstructions to signal transmission due to 

geography or terrain.

•	Key point: Whether to use ITS to address a work zone need has to be assessed because work zone ITS 

may not be the only or best way to address a particular issue. For example, project staff at case study sites in 

Effingham and Mount Vernon, IL considered whether to use ITS the need for queue warning. Because on the need 

for automatic queue warning and delay information dissemination, staff at both projects considered alternatives 

and decided early on that some type of work zone ITS would be deployed. There had been previous efforts by 

Illinois DOT to warn drivers approaching a work zone with queues through the use of either enforcement personnel 

positioned upstream of the work, or through the use of Illinois DOT staff with truck-mounted CMS. The difficulties of 

predicting when queues would occur, having sufficient staff available to schedule during those times, and keeping 

the warning device (enforcement vehicle or the truck-mounted CMS) in the proper location relative to the end of 

the queue reduced the practicality of these approaches. Illinois DOT staff were also concerned with the potential 

liability associated with sometimes, but not always, being able to have an enforcement vehicle or truck-mounted 

CMS present when queues were expected.

Step 3 – Detailed System Planning and Design

•	Tip: It is important to use a proactive approach in building public awareness of the project and the 

information that the ITS application will provide. Successful techniques include holding press conferences, 

issuing news releases, and keeping local media (especially those the public turns to for traffic information) up to 

date.

Appendix C. Issues for Consideration
66 APPENDIX C WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

•Tip: Helpful hints for planning an evaluation.

- Evaluations can be either qualitative or quantitative; however, the best evaluations employ a combination of both 

 types of information.

- The most effective evaluations occur when the goals and objectives for a work zone ITS are explicitly stated, 

 measurable, and agreed to by all stakeholders. 

- Examining the role of research in the evaluation step of the project will help clarify the types of analyses that can 

 be performed to produce benefits data.

- It is helpful to provide a mechanism for the public to offer feedback on the project. Several agencies have used 

 comment sections on the project websites to collect this feedback.

- The formality and magnitude of an evaluation should match the level of the ITS deployment. An informal 

 evaluation may be sufficient for simple systems, while a more formal evaluation would be better suited for a 

 larger-scale deployment.

Step 4 – Procurement

•	Key Point: Procurement of ITS need not conform to a traditional approach. The Minnesota DOT issued 

a stand-alone, design-bid-build, best-value contract to facilitate work zone ITS for a set of three simultaneous 

construction projects with separate contractors on a single stretch of highway. This mechanism helped assure 

contractor qualifications and expertise for designing, deploying, and operating a single, quality ITS, along with 

performance-based considerations for the projects. The Minnesota DOT has also discussed issuing a general 

contract to have an ITS contractor on call. The ITS contractor would engage stakeholders and provide input and 

recommendations for work zone ITS early on for selected projects the agency believes will require it, stay abreast of 

rapidly changing technologies, and help the agency use ITS to its maximum potential.

•	Tip: Strategies for Successful Procurement.

- Agencies need to consider the necessary personnel experience for operating and maintaining work zone ITS 

before deciding whether to purchase or lease work zone ITS, so that the procured system can be effectively 

operated and maintained. 

- Regardless of whether ITS is procured directly by an agency or indirectly through a construction contract, it is 

important that there be expertise available locally (either on agency, contractor, or vendor staff) who are tasked 

with day-to-day responsibility for operations and maintenance of the system to enable quick response and 

resolution of issues. 

- Typically, for indirect procurements it is better to include work zone ITS as part of the construction contract than as an 

addition through a change order to minimize costs and reduce frustration. In addition, change orders over a 

given amount or percent on a project may require high-level administrative approval before procurement, which 

can delay when the system can be obtained and deployed.

- While change orders are not the preferred procurement approach, agencies should also recognize the potential 

need for change orders to modify or enhance the system once it is implemented and operational experience is 

gained regarding actual work zone impacts.

- Hybrid approaches that mix two or more of the procurement approaches discussed herein are possible. For 

example, an agency may choose to purchase a COTS system itself through a low-bid selection process, and 

then hire a vendor to deploy, calibrate, and operate the system on an as-directed basis through a low-bid or 

other type of selection process. As another example, an agency could specify that the contractor obtain a COTS 

system for the purpose of providing queue warning protection upstream of temporary lane closures, considering 

the payment for the system as a type of mobilization cost. Then, each time the system needs to be deployed, a 

per-use or per-day fee could be negotiated with the contractor to cover labor costs for deployment, operation, 

and retrieval.

- In some cases, agencies will specify that project funding will be withheld if ITS components are not maintained in 

a satisfactory operating condition as one way of increasing its importance with the contractor. 

- It is important to remember that 3rd party traffic data collected primarily by vehicle probes can provide good work 

zone travel time and delay information, but will be less sensitive to the onset of queues that form until the queues 

reach a substantial length. Only those vendors that can provide spot speed data will be effective for supporting 

queue detection and warning systems.
WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE APPENDIX C 67

Step 5 – System Deployment

•	Tip: Allow start-up time when deploying a system. Problems will arise—such as the operation of sensors, 

communications (wireless or wired), calibration, or software—and will take time to address. These “bugs” require 

time to locate and address. Failure to allow for sufficient start-up time can lead to less than optimal performance 

of the system during the initial days of the project. Unfortunately, this is often the time at which the system is 

most needed, as drivers are encountering unexpected conditions due to the capacity and operational constraints 

imposed by the MOT plan, are surprised, and need and would benefit significantly from having improved 

information and guidance in how to best accommodate the work zone. 

•Tip: Quickly deploying work zone ITS is possible but can require extra resources. Although it is desirable to 

begin the process for considering, planning, designing, and deploying a work zone ITS early in the overall project 

development process, circumstances sometimes dictate that an accelerated timeline be followed. It is important 

to recognize when such circumstances arise and to dedicate enough resources to be successful in meeting that 

timeline. For example, a work zone ITS deployment used on the Big I (I-40) project in Albuquerque, New Mexico, 

was able to go from concept to full operation in only 15 weeks. However, to accomplish this, the agency had to 

employ several experienced ITS contractors for the ITS design, system selection, and system installation.

Step 6 – Operation, Maintenance, and Evaluation

•	Key Point: Sometimes conditions in the field may differ from what was expected during systems planning 

and design, and adjustments may be needed. For example, queues may be longer or shorter than what 

was estimated before construction actually started. Personnel should monitor conditions in the field such that if 

queues regularly extend beyond the system signs (or detectors), the agency/contractor can consider adjusting the 

placement of the system components to make the most effective use of the system or adding additional devices to 

extend coverage.

•	Tip: Manage expectations. It is important to assess and update expectations based on true experiences of the 

deployment in the work zone. The deployment may have greater or lesser impacts than originally anticipated, and 

it is important for stakeholders to understand why that is the case. 

•	Tip: It is important to ensure that information delivered to the public is as accurate as possible. If 

inaccurate information is provided, the public can quickly lose confidence, resulting in negative public relations.

•	Tip: Carefully consider how to set up automated information delivery and sharing with other agencies.

Particularly with an automated information delivery system, it is possible to deliver too much information for the 

agency and its partner agencies to process effectively. The frequency, usefulness, and volume of information 

delivered to managers and partners needs to be appropriate or it will likely be discarded or ignored. Many ITS 

applications can be set to automatically deliver texts or e-mails to the agency or partners such as the media and 

public safety agencies. If the thresholds for delivery of these messages are not carefully considered, a recipient 

may be inundated with information and unable to sort out what is useful.

•	Tip: Questions to consider as you monitor the system during deployment. 

- Is the system working correctly? Are messages accurate based on conditions?

- Is the vendor meeting the contract? Are issues being addressed promptly?

- What are the data saying about work zone operations and safety and mobility in the work zone?

- Does the system need to be adjusted (e.g., adjust thresholds, change the wording or timing of PCMS messages,

 reposition sensors, add sensors)?
68 APPENDIX D WORK ZONE ITS IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

The authors of this report are grateful for the assistance and feedback provided throughout this project by the FHWA 

work zone team. Tracy Scriba was FHWA’s Task Manager for the project and directly provided invaluable support 

and guidance throughout the effort. Numerous representatives of the State Departments of Transportation and 

vendors also provided support in the development of the guidance contained herein. We are most grateful for the 

assistance of all the individuals who provided suggestions and feedback, and have tried to incorporate all of the 

helpful input to improve this guide.

Appendix D. Acknowledgements



U.S. Department of Transportation 

Federal Highway Administration 

Office of Operations 

1200 New Jersey Ave., SE 

Washington, D.C. 20590 

www.fhwa.dot.gov/workzones

FHWA-HOP-14-008