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{"id":5456,"date":"2020-11-20T11:24:42","date_gmt":"2020-11-20T16:24:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.trafficsafetystore.com\/blog\/?p=5456"},"modified":"2020-11-20T11:24:42","modified_gmt":"2020-11-20T16:24:42","slug":"roadway-buffer-zone-clear-zone-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.trafficsafetystore.com\/blog\/roadway-buffer-zone-clear-zone-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Roadway Buffer Zone & Clear Zone Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

Buffer Zones Help Keep Motorists & Workers Safe<\/h2>\nAmerica\u2019s roadway system is one of the most expansive transportation networks in the world. Stretching from coast to coast, America\u2019s collection of interstate highways and city roads provide a convenient and reliable way to travel long distances in a short time.\n\n
$\"U.S.$
Image Source: https:\/\/www.stockingblue.com\/article\/160\/miles-of-roadway-per-square-mile-of-land-in-us-states\/<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\nRoads play a central role in America\u2019s economy, and maintaining roadways is a vital part of national importance.\n\nRain or shine, winter or summer, road maintenance crews are tasked with ensuring people can travel to work, and companies can ship goods and services on America\u2019s roadways.\n\nOne of the hardest parts to keep America\u2019s roadways working as efficiently as possible<\/a> is how to manage ongoing maintenance projects while disrupting traffic patterns as little as possible.\n\nIt\u2019s not an option to close down an entire road or highway to complete required maintenance, so road crews and engineers need to find a way to maximize work crews and motorists\u2019 safety while also minimizing disruption to travel time and operations.\n\n<\/iframe>\n\nMotorist-worker accidents occur when oncoming traffic gets too close to work zones, and these <a href=\"https:\/\/www.osha.gov\/data\/commonstats\">types of accidents result in serious injuries<\/a> or death to the road worker and motorists.\n\nTo help reduce accidents, many work zone managers use buffer spaces to improve motorists\u2019 safety and work for crews in a work zone with oncoming traffic nearby.\n<h2>What Is A Buffer Space?<\/h2>\nBuffer space is an area that separates oncoming traffic from a workspace or other unsafe areas.\n\n<figure id=\"attachment_5459\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5459\" style=\"width: 590px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-5459 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/staging.trafficsafetystore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/fig6h_06.gif\" alt=\"roadwork buffer zone\" width=\"590\" height=\"925\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 590px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 590\/925;\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5459\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Source: https:\/\/mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov\/htm\/2009r1r2\/part6\/fig6h_06_longdesc.htm<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\nThis space is meant to provide drivers enough time and space to correct their vehicle if they start to move towards the work zone.\n\nBuffer space plays an important role to keep construction crews and drivers safe and efficient. Here are a few key points to remember about buffer zones:\n<ul>\n \t<li><strong>Additional Space<\/strong>: Buffer zones provide space for errant vehicles to stop or recover without entering a dedicated work zone.<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Clearly Marked<\/strong>: Buffer zones must be clearly marked with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.trafficsafetystore.com\/traffic-cones\/\">traffic cones<\/a>, traffic signs, and other markers to warn drivers about potential hazards.<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Clear Of Equipment<\/strong>: Buffer spaces must remain clear of equipment and other obstructions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nWhile buffer zones provide space for drivers to correct vehicles, this area also offers workers additional safety if they wander out of the work zone. This area also reduces the chance that a piece of heavy equipment will hit a passing vehicle should the swing radius exceed the worksite\u2019s boundaries.\n\nLike a clear zone, buffer spaces should be maintained to enhance a driver\u2019s ability to correct their vehicle should it veer toward the work zone. This means a buffer space should not have any equipment in it, no pavement drop-offs, and should be as flat as possible with no steep slopes or other obstructions.\n\nBuffer zones should be marked with traffic cones and signs leading up to the work zone to provide ample visibility and warning to oncoming traffic.\n\nBuffer spaces help keep drivers and workers safe by offering additional room to maneuver and distance between their respective operating areas. Still, no amount of buffer zone can deem a location \u201csafe.\u201d\n\n<figure id=\"attachment_5460\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5460\" style=\"width: 590px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-5460 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/staging.trafficsafetystore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/fig6h_31.gif\" alt=\"roadway construction buffer space\" width=\"590\" height=\"911\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 590px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 590\/911;\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5460\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Source: https:\/\/mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov\/htm\/2009\/part6\/fig6h_31_longdesc.htm<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\nResearch shows there is a relationship between the amount of buffer space between work zones and traffic and reduced likelihood of an accident, but worksite planners need to consider impacts to road capacity and how buffer zones could impact operations in the area.\n<h2>Barriers Along With Buffer Spaces<\/h2>\nAgencies may choose to use <a href=\"https:\/\/www.trafficsafetystore.com\/water-filled-barriers\">lateral barriers<\/a> to help shield work crews from hazards when large buffer zones are not an option. These barriers physically separate oncoming traffic from worksites, and they can help workers complete maintenance tasks more efficiently.\n\nPlanners need to consider the type of barrier, traffic speed, and barrier deflection when placing barriers around a work zone.\n\nThis is because barriers can impose additional hazards to other drivers if a vehicle hits a barrier and enters oncoming traffic. This is why barriers like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.trafficsafetystore.com\/water-filled-barriers\/jersey-style-light#JSS%20100%20ORG\">water-filled Jersey Barriers<\/a> are used to deflect errant cars in a controlled manner.\n\nBarriers must also be placed a sufficient distance leading up to and after the work zone to provide ample protection to workers and motorists.\n<h2>Keeping American Roadways Open<\/h2>\nThe U.S. economy relies on keeping our roadways accessible and open throughout the year. Consumers need to have reliable transportation options to travel to home and work, and companies need to open roads to deliver goods to grocery stores.\n\nThis means that work zone planners need to find ways to maximize traffic flow in areas where maintenance occurs while also minimizing risk to work crews and motorists.\n\nThis is no easy feat, but buffer zones and barriers provide a great solution to keep America\u2019s roads maintained and traffic moving as usual.","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Buffer Zones Help Keep Motorists & Workers Safe America\u2019s roadway system is one of the most expansive transportation networks in the world. Stretching from coast to coast, America\u2019s collection of interstate highways and city roads provide a convenient and reliable way to travel long distances in a short time. Roads play a central role in America\u2019s economy, and maintaining roadways … <a href=\"https:\/\/staging.trafficsafetystore.com\/blog\/roadway-buffer-zone-clear-zone-guide\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> “Roadway Buffer Zone & Clear Zone Guide”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5461,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5456","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.trafficsafetystore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5456","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.trafficsafetystore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.trafficsafetystore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.trafficsafetystore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.trafficsafetystore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5456"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/staging.trafficsafetystore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5456\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.trafficsafetystore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5461"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.trafficsafetystore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5456"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.trafficsafetystore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5456"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.trafficsafetystore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5456"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}