Part-width construction methods are commonly used on suburban and rural two-lane roadways, which require one-way travel along a two-way corridor. This method, however, presents challenges at driveways and low volume intersecting roads. Temporary traffic signal devices are a proven technology used for one-way operations on two-way roads, but can cause substantial delays for all drivers. Driver Assistance Devices (DADs) have the potential to improve operations and safety by allowing motorists at driveways, especially at intersecting roads with low volumes, to join an existing queue of vehicles in the mainline in the same direction of travel instead of calling for an additional phase at the temporary traffic signal specifically for driveway movements.  This study evaluated DADs in comparison to traditional temporary traffic signals at driveways in four work zones along State Route 60, in Muskingum County, Ohio, a two-lane two-way rural minor arterial. The work zone configurations included the closure of one of two of the travel lanes for approximately 1000-feet in length while construction was occurring on the other lane. During construction, access from driveways was maintained by either a temporary traffic signal at each driveway or DAD signal at each driveway.  Traffic at each end of each work zone was controlled by one additional temporary traffic signal. The study included a field analysis based on data collected in June, July and October of 2022, and a microscopic traffic simulation analysis to quantify operational and safety of both work zone driveway devices, a benefit-to-cost analysis, and user surveys.

The cost for a temporary traffic signal device was set at $5,600 per month, while a DADs cost was set at $1,800 per month . In terms of maintenance, each of the devices would require generators in addition to the solar panels to ensure operation over a 24-hour period. The cost for an additional generator per DAD was set at a cost of $500 every six weeks throughout the duration of the project, yielding a minimum of six additional maintenance services for each DAD with the solar panel located near the bottom of the trailer on the construction site annually, which was set at a cost of $250 per maintenance service, making the total maintenance cost per six weeks $750.

Based on the assumption of construction season being nine-months in duration or 36 weeks or 275 days, the capital cost for DADs in one-lane, two-way work zones in Ohio was estimated as $16,200 (at $1,800 per month, for nine months). Similarly, the maintenance cost for DADs was estimated as $4,500 considering the 36-week construction period and maintenance cost of $750 accruing per six weeks.

In total, the capital plus maintenance costs for DADs over the nine-month construction period was estimated to be $20,700. The capital and maintenance cost for conventional temporary traffic signal devices was calculated to amount to $50,400 through similar computations.