There are many safety features outlined in the Michigan Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices, ranging from traffic drums to temporary traffic barriers that are designed to help identify the work zone and protect the construction workforce. However, one of the most effective traffic calming devices (the one that appears to directly impact motorist behavior) is police presence.
At times, the presence of law enforcement on road construction projects may be essential to ensure safe and efficient flow of traffic.
MITA understands that not all construction locations warrant a police presence, but there are certain situations for which it should be considered. The following conditions may necessitate the use of police presence.
Police presence may be warranted if any of the following conditions is satisfied:
• High traffic volume
• Complete shutdown of roadways/ramps
• During initial operation that requires traffic to deviate from normal travel paths, including locations that require repetitive night closures with complete removal by morning
Police presence may be warranted if at least two of the following conditions are satisfied:
• Work operation is transverse to the flow of traffic, and grabber cones are utilized in lieu of drums (i.e. concrete patches, HMA joints, striping, crack sealing)
• Work zones have a high number of access points (i.e. intersections, ramps, etc.)
• Nighttime flagging is required
• Areas of high crash history
• High crime areas
• Mobile operation
If you have a project for which you believe a police presence is reasonable, your request should be made to the project engineer during the preconstruction meeting (or as soon as you feel it is warranted). If you are requesting police presence on an MDOT project, refer to MDOT System Operations Advisory 2011-06 “Police Presence” for how payment to the police officers can be incorporated into the project.
If it is determined that a police presence should be incorporated, a few things to help guide the assistance of officers are as follows:
1. Communication with the individual law enforcement officers assigned to your site is crucial.
a. Make sure to communicate your safety and performance expectations. Do not expect that the officer will know exactly what to do or where to position their vehicle.
b. Make sure the assigned officer is aware of their role in the Traffic Control Plan (TCP) prior to beginning work. Provide a daily briefing before getting started.
c. Ask them to arrive 15 minutes before traffic control devices are being placed or moved to ensure they know how to best assist in these critical moments.
d. Make sure the officer knows who the Traffic Control Supervisor is and has their phone number in case of an emergency.
2. As with all road workers, the first item of importance for law enforcement is safety.
a. Instruct the officer that their safety is of primary importance.
b. Make them aware of any safety concerns or best practices that may apply to the different phases of work.
c. Talk directly with each assigned officer about how to best maximize the individual officer’s safety, as well as the safety of others.
3. Proper positioning of the law enforcement vehicle is very important to the work site safety, as well as to the safety of the officer.
a. The key to calming traffic entering the active construction area is to position the police vehicle in the advanced warning area, before a transition, or where the motorists must pay attention. Generally, this is in advance of the immediate area of the work (approximately ¼ mile is recommended).
b. Do not allow the officer to park in the buffer space.
c. The law enforcement vehicle must be in the safest position possible (i.e. on the shoulder, median, etc.) that is also highly visible to approaching traffic.
d. The law enforcement vehicle must be in a position that appears ready to respond in enforcement activities.
e. The officer and the vehicle must be ready to move in the event of developing situations (i.e. an errant vehicle).
f. The officer may also need to relocate based on traffic and job conditions.
g. Ask the officers to have their lights on low intensity during night work. Too much lighting and intensity will add confusion.
This bulletin is designed to help identify those situation that may warrant police presence in work zones and to provide guidance when their presence is utilized. MITA recognizes that there are many devices that are effectively used to control the flow of traffic through work zones and not one device can satisfy all conditions for a given project or incident. The devices selected for each situation depend on the type of highway, road user conditions, duration of operation, physical constraints, and the nearness of the work space or incident management activity to road users.
If you have any questions or comments contact Doug Needham at douglasneedham@mi-ita.com or Rob Coppersmith at robcoppersmith@mi-ita.com or call them at the MITA office at 517-347-8336.
