Abstract
This paper shows how to simulate highway traffic flows using a network-level traffic flow model (NTFM) for both urban and motorway road networks. It highlights how road maintenance works can be modelled using a roadwork node in the network and how the modelling can be used to predict the effects of maintenance works on the level of service of the highway network. In particular, the paper aims to show how the theory of vehicle flow fluctuation can be used within the roadwork node for better representation of reality while modelling the road network flow. The NTFM is illustrated using traffic characteristics and road maintenance works on a motorway and trunk highway network in China. It is shown how the proposed method is useful in comparing worksite arrangements and describing the effects on flow rates due to roadworks.
Highlights
During the last 30 years, China has developed its highway infrastructure
In order to alleviate travel delays occurred on the highway network, especially when maintenance activities are taking place, modelling tools, such as the networklevel traffic flow model (NTFM), can be utilised to achieve a better decision-making process for maintenance arrangements, taking into account both maintenance costs and travel delays (Yang, Remenyte-Prescott et al 2014, Yang, Remenyte-Prescott et al 2015)
This paper is based on the network traffic flow model (NTFM) which is used to calculate traffic flows, especially when additional delays on the network are caused by road maintenance
Summary
During the last 30 years, China has developed its highway infrastructure. By the end of 2017, there are 4,773,500 km long highways and 136,500 km long motorways in China (Ministry of Transport, China, 2019a). The novelty of this paper is that the theory of vehicle flow fluctuation is utilised in the roadwork node model of the NTFM, previously developed by the authors (Yang, Remenyte-Prescott et al 2014, Yang, Remenyte-Prescott et al 2015), which is applied to evaluate traffic conditions on the highway network under various roadwork zone arrangements. This approach gives an opportunity to model road network flows more realistically, and it can be further used to optimise road maintenance, for example, to find the best roadwork zone arrangements, considering the entering traffic flows, time saving coefficient and speed interference on the road section. Inthe NTFM, the network is modelled in terms of links, representing roads, and nodes between them, representing junctions
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