ECI – Engineers Construction

This week we are continuing our discussion on Traffic Control Plans.  Our go-to resource for traffic control is the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (2009 Edition), a document published by the Federal Highway Administration.  The MUTCD contains guidelines for arrangements of traffic control devices for nearly every potential arrangement (shoulder closures, lane closures, lane shifts, detours, blasting operations, etc.) on nearly every type of roadway (rural road, urban streets, divided highways, railroad at-grade crossings, etc.).  Devices are considered to be signage, cones, barriers, flaggers, signals, programmable message boards, etc.

MUTCD Section 1A.02-02 Principles of Traffic Control Devices offers the following guidance on devices:

To be effective, a traffic control device should meet 5 basic requirements:

A.  Fulfill a Need

B.  Command Attention

C.  Convey a Clear, Simple Meaning

D.  Command Respect from Road Users, and

E.  Give Adequate Time for Proper Response

The MUTCD is available for free on the following FHWA weblink:

https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/pdfs/2009r1r2/pdf_index.htm