Abstract
PURPOSES : This study was conducted to analyze the effects arising from extending the duration of nighttime road construction on improving road quality and durability. METHODS : Most previous studies estimating the social cost of various construction conditions did not consider road pavement cooling time as a factor in improving road pavement quality. This study investigated the feasibility of achieving higher road quality and durability by extending the duration of nighttime road construction time extension. For this investigation, the effects of such an extension on traffic conditions were analyzed based on micro-simulation studies and scenario-based cost-benefit analyses, using factors including traffic volume, delay, construction cost, and road pavement cooling time. RESULTS : The results of the traffic simulation studies and cost-benefit analyses indicate that the current road construction method that emphasizes completing nighttime road construction by 6 a.m. reduces pavement life while causing relatively little traffic delay. If the night construction time is instead extended to 2 p.m., road pavement lifetime is increased, reducing road re-construction cost. These savings are greater than the cost of congestion arising from extending the duration of nighttime construction. CONCLUSIONS : The current nighttime construction durations need to be extended in order to efficiently manage roads and reduce road management costs.
