9C-8: Emergency Pull-offs During Construction

Introduction

When road work reduces the right side shoulder to less than 10 feet, drivers cannot safety move out of the traffic lane when they experience a problem with their vehicle. The result is unnecessary congestion due to a blocked traffic lane.  A lane of blocked traffic also increases the time required for a rescue vehicle to help with the stalled vehicle, further compounding a negative effect on traffic flow.

Enforcing work zone laws is paramount to ensuring the safety of workers and the driving public.  But when law enforcement has no space to safely pull over offenders, officers are forced to let violations go. Lack of enforcement can train drivers to believe that obeying roadway laws within work zones is unimportant.

Emergency pull-offs address both these issues by periodically allowing space for vehicles to be stopped within work zones.  They should be considered when:

• The right side shoulder width is less than 10 feet for more than 1 mile.
• Work duration is expected to be more than 30 days.
• High traffic volumes are expected (refer to the lane closure map).

Refer to Standard Road Plan TC-405 for pull-off details.

Frequency of Pull-offs

If pull-offs are far from a stalled vehicle, the perceived effort to move the vehicle may be too high, causing the vehicle to be left blocking traffic.  The interval between pull-offs should be between ½ mile to 1 mile.  Smaller intervals should be used to ensure one or more emergency pull-offs exist in one work zone.  Larger intervals may be used for projects spanning a distance great enough where half mile intervals would incur a prohibitive cost.  With proper signage, existing infrastructure such as exit ramps may be substituted for the construction of a new emergency pull-off.

Signage on Pull-off

To ensure swift response times, pull-offs must be clearly labeled to allow stopped drivers to inform emergency personnel of the location of a stalled vehicle.  Pull-offs should be numbered using an Intermediate Enhanced Reference Location sign (D10-5), as these signs are familiar enough to emergency responders to help them find a location without specific knowledge of the work zone or the surrounding area.  These signs should be placed at the end of the pull-off tangent so that the sign may be read without the need to walk in the direction of moving traffic.  An “Emergency Pull-off ½ Mile” (citation) sign and an “Emergency Pull-off sign” (citation) must be included to flag the existence off a pull-off before it is too late for a driver to pull into one.

Length of Pull-off

Pull-offs need to remain long enough to accommodate the stopping distance of a trailing law enforcement vehicle or for a tow vehicle to pull in front of a stalled vehicle.  Three hundred feet should be the standard length of a pull-off.  This distance may be reduced if required by geometric or financial restrictions, but pull-offs should be kept as long as possible to encourage their use.

Width of Pull-off

Pull-offs must be wide enough to safely allow basic repairs that would require a someone to be to the side of a stalled vehicle.  Use of temporary barrier rail could further encroach on usable space if vehicle doors need to be opened.  To accommodate these factors, pull-offs should ideally be 15 feet wide, with a minimum acceptable width of 12 feet.

Surface Material

Pull-offs should be paved if using temporary barrier rail, or if the pull-off will exist for longer than 60 days. Without TBR, or if the duration is less than 60 days, rock can be used.

Slope

Extreme slopes could cause a discontinuity between the roadway that might cause drivers to hesitate to use emergency pull-offs.  This is especially the case for heavy trucks pulling onto unpaved surfaces, as their drivers may fear tipping.  Ideally, the cross slope of a pull-off should match the 4% of the road, but may be increased to a maximum of 1:10.

Chronology of Changes