Investigating The Impact Of Pavement Condition On Recurring Traffic Congestion

Authors

• Afrin Hossain Anni, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Advisor(s)

Virginia Sisiopiku

Committee Member(s)

Andrew Sullivan
Muhammad M Sherif

School

School of Engineering

Document Type

Thesis

Department (new version)

Civil Engineering

Date of Award

9-9-2024

Abstract

Traffic congestion impacts the quality of traffic operations and transportation users’ satisfaction. In addition to adverse impacts on travel time and on-time arrivals, traffic congestion may also affect traffic safety, environmental quality, and economic development. Therefore, gaining a good understanding of congestion patterns and identify contributing factors and countermeasures to reduce them are of key importance toward effective traffic management and investment decision-making for transportation improvements. Travel demand, geometric characteristics of transportation facilities, special events, crashes, adverse weather, and other environmental conditions can play a role in the occurrence of traffic congestion. Pavement deterioration is also viewed as a factor that likely influences congestion as poor pavement conditions prompt drivers to adjust behavior (e.g. slam on brakes, abruptly change lanes, etc.) potentially intensifying traffic congestion. However, the correlation between pavement quality and congestion is neither well-documented in the literature nor well-established. This research explored this topic using two roadway segments in the Birmingham metropolitan area (I-65 and US-31) as a study testbed. The study quantified traffic congestion on the basis of Travel Time Index (TTI) and pavement quality using a pavement Crack Index (CI). Travel time data from passenger vehicles and pavement images gathered over a five-year period (2018-2022) were used to calculate the TTI and CI values for 67 TMCs along the study corridors. Map visualizations using GIS illustrated congestion patterns and pavement crack variations along the study corridors and over time. Statistical analyses were performed to test if correlations existed between traffic congestion and pavement crack occurrence. The study was successful in documenting the location, duration, and severity of traffic congestion and the location and severity of pavement deterioration. However, the statistical analysis revealed a weak inverse correlation between TTI and CI, challenging the concept that pavement cracks alone can explain travel time variations and traffic congestion. The findings reinforce the notion that traffic congestion is a complex phenomenon, and no single contributing factor (including pavement quality) may show a unique and direct correlation with traffic congestion. Instead, future studies should consider a combination of factors related to demand, supply, environmental conditions, and traffic management, all of which affect traffic operations simultaneous and thus impact the location, duration, and severity of traffic congestion.

ProQuest ID

https://proquest.com/docview/3101847975