Many business owners fear that highway construction projects will significantly reduce traffic to their businesses.
Customers complain about the difficulty in finding business driveways in work zones.
Drivers are guided through most work zones using orange tubular markers and standard traffic control devices. This research project tested if the use of blue tubular markers and special signs at business entrances would improve safety and traffic flow by helping drivers locate open business accesses. ODOT s Research Group monitored traffic patterns and measured community response to the new devices at ODOT construction projects in Sweet Home and Pleasant Hill. They are made of flexible urethane plastic and are 900 mm high and 75 mm in diameter. Usually, the blue marker is used as a permanent traffic channelization or separation device, where the base of the marker is adhered to the pavement surface.