This report documents the research activities completed during the first year of a two-year research project concerning the safety of mobile and short duration work zone operations. The objective of the first year of the research project was to identify the potential hazards associated with mobile and short duration maintenance operations, as well as the probable underlying causational factors. In order to determine the current practices employed by other states during mobile and short duration maintenance operations, researchers conducted a survey of state transportation agencies. Focus groups of Texas Department of Transportation employees were held to identify the hazards encountered during mobile and short duration maintenance operations, as well as to stimulate new ideas and creative concepts that could improve worker and motorist safety. Field observations of 11 mobile and 18 short duration maintenance operations were conducted to document the work zone setups used, as well as the motorist behavior surrounding these types of work activities. The primary categories of hazards identified in this research were motorist behavior, motorist comprehension, worker exposure, and vehicle conflicts. In addition, researchers found that the definitions of mobile and short duration maintenance operations, as well as the classification of specific operations, were not consistent.

TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Research Results Digests 339: Improving the Safety of Mobile Lane Closures explores practices employed by transportation agencies during mobile lane closures and summarizes research carried out on different components of mobile lane closure. Appendices A through D for NCHRP RRD 339 are available online.

The purpose of this manual is to provide clear and helpful information for maintaining gravel roads. Very little technical help is available to small agencies that are responsible for managing these roads. Gravel road maintenance has traditionally been "more of an art than a science" and very few formal standards exist. This manual contains guidelines to help answer the questions that arise concerning gravel road maintenance such as: What is enough surface crown? What is too much? What causes corrugation? The information is as nontechnical as possible without sacrificing clear guidelines and instructions on how to do the job right.