University of Twente Student Theses
Hindrance reduction project Daelderweg
Kovacs, M.J.M. (2024) Hindrance reduction project Daelderweg.
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| Abstract: | With increasing traffic demand and ageing infrastructure extensive investments are needed to maintain Dutch infrastructure. In the south of the Netherlands the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management will invest in an overpass of the N298 that crosses the A76 highway since it is at the end of its lifespan and needs to be replaced. During the replacement of the overpass, the road will be closed to traffic and it will have an impact on the A76 highway. The goal of this thesis is to advise a set of measures that can reduce the hindrance caused by the road closures effectively. In this thesis, a complete closure of the A76 highway near Nuth is considered, since this will most likely have the biggest impact on the area. During road closures it is required to have alternative routes via the main road network. In the Netherlands, there will be one via the A2/A79 and one via the N300. To determine the traffic hindrance in the area the average traffic intensities per hour are calculated for each hour during weekdays, weekends and summer holiday. Using the Nederlands Regionaal Model (NRM) (a Dutch traffic forecast model), the traffic allocation during road closures is determined. The current intensities (2022) and the increase in intensities during road closures (NRM 2030H) is used to calculate the intensity/capacity-ratio on different road segments on the alternative routes. This is also done for the intersections on the alternative routes since the capacity is lower and these are the bottlenecks of the alternative routes. To calculate the remaining capacity of these routes all the traffic that normally uses the A76 highway is redistributed over the network. Since the alternative routes will be used less if there are faster routes, the area is assessed for the possibility of rat running. Finally, the effects of the road closures on accessibility are assessed. The results of this assessment are used to determine the goals for the measures. Rijkswaterstaat has a Minder Hinder approach which focuses on reducing hindrance during road works. It is divided into three main subjects Smart Planning, Smart Building and Smart Travel. The goal is to reduce hindrance for road users and other stakeholders, safety is a precondition, accessibility is the main focus and, measures that encourage smart mobility in the long term are favourable. These principles are used to determine the measures that can be used to reduce hindrance. The results of the traffic hindrance analysis show sufficient road capacity, even during the road closures. The maximum hour intensities are 29% lower during the weekend in comparison to weekdays, which makes this the best period for the road closures. At the bottlenecks the capacity is not sufficient and traffic intensities should be decreased by 60%. The alternative routes have 10 minutes of additional travel time when there is no delay on these routes, this is within de conditions of the hindrance approach from Rijkswaterstaat. Finally, the accessibility in the region decreases, especially around Sittard-Geleen and Heerlen. The measures that will reduce the hindrance effectively are as follows: • Road closures take place during weekend; • Online and social media campaign; • Employers approach by Zuid-Limburg Bereikbaar; • Change traffic control scheme intersections; • Kamp in Nuth only for destination traffic. These measures will reduce the hindrance during road closures by minimizing delay and rat running. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Bachelor) |
| Faculty: | ET: Engineering Technology |
| Programme: | Civil Engineering BSc (56952) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/98147 |
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