Delaware Administrative Code
Title 2 - Transportation
2000 - Department of Transportation
2400 - Division of Transportation Solutions
2402 - Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)
Part 6 - Temporary Traffic Control
Chapter 6G - TYPE OF TEMPORARY TRAFFIC CONTROL ZONE ACTIVITIES
Section 6G.14 - Work Within the Traveled Way of an Interstate, Freeway, or Expressway

01 Problems of TTC might occur under the special conditions encountered where vehicular traffic must be moved through or around TTC zones on high-speed, high-volume roadways. Although the general principles outlined in the previous Sections of this Manual are applicable to all types of highways, high-speed, access-controlled highways need special attention in order to accommodate vehicular traffic while also protecting road users and workers. The road user volumes, road vehicle mix (buses, trucks, cars, and bicycles, if permitted), and speed of vehicles on these facilities require that careful TTC procedures be implemented, for example, to induce critical merging maneuvers well in advance of work spaces and in a manner that creates minimum turbulence and delay in the vehicular traffic stream. These situations often require more conspicuous devices than specified for normal rural highway or urban street use. However, the same important basic considerations of uniformity and standardization of general principles apply for all roadways.

02 Work under high-speed, high-volume vehicular traffic on a controlled access highway is complicated by the roadway design and operational features. The presence of a median that establishes separate roadways for directional vehicular traffic flow might prohibit the closing of one of the roadways or the diverting of vehicular traffic to the other roadway. Lack of access to and from adjacent roadways prohibits rerouting of vehicular traffic away from the work space in many cases. Other conditions exist where work must be limited to night hours, thereby necessitating increased use of warning lights, illumination of work spaces, and advance warning systems.

03 (DE Revision) TTC for a typical lane closure on a divided highway is shown in Figure 6H-33. Temporary traffic controls for short duration and mobile operations on multi-lane, divided highways are shown in Figures 6H-35 and 6H-35A. Mobile striping operations on multi-lane, divided highways are shown in Figures 6H-35B and 6H-35C and mobile striping operations on interstates, freeways, and expressways are shown in Figures 6H-35D, 6H-35E, 6H-35F, and 6H-35G. A typical application for shifting vehicular traffic lanes around a work space is shown in Figure 6H-36. TTC for multiple and interior lane closures on a multi-lane, divided highway is shown in Figures 6H-37 and 6H-38.

Guidance:

04 (DE Revision) Closing an interior lane only on a directional roadway with three or more lanes is strongly discouraged because of worker safety and driver expectancy concerns associated with permitting high-speed traffic on both sides of the work space. When an interior lane is closed, an adjacent lane should also be considered for closure as shown in Figure 6H-37. When the capacity of the other lanes is needed based on an engineering study, the method shown in Figure 6H-38 should be used.

Standard:

05 (DE Revision) Flaggers shall not be used on Interstates, Freeways, or Expressways.

Option:

06 (DE Revision) In support of emergencies or incidents, flaggers may be used to assist with the traffic control at incident scenes (see Chapter 6I).