From chaos to order: Evaluating behavior-driven road sign strategies in work zone management

Road construction significantly impacts traffic dynamics, often causing severe congestion, reduced speeds, and elevated accident risks due to lane closures and merging bottlenecks. This study employs a cellular automaton (CA) simulation to examine how changes in driver behavior, induced by different road signage strategies, influence traffic congestion patterns around work zones on multi-lane one-way roads. Three road sign strategies were analyzed: basic warning sign, detailed merging and speed regulation sign, and combined signs. Simulation results show that effective signage improves traffic conditions by promoting smoother lane changes and speed adjustments. The study further reveals that placing work zones in the middle lane (Lane 2) of a three-lane road tends to increase congestion unless appropriate signage is used. Moreover, analyses based on heatmaps, lane occupancy, and congestion metrics reveal the nonlinear and chaotic nature of traffic flow, showing that variations in driver behavior induced by different signage strategies lead to distinct congestion patterns. Unclear signage often leads to aggressive deceleration and merging, causing turbulent congestion waves and chaotic spillover effects. In contrast, advanced signage promotes orderly driving behavior, stabilizing traffic flow by balancing lane utilization and reducing nonlinear instabilities. These findings show the significant influence of signage-induced driver behavior on congestion patterns and provide practical insights for improving traffic management near work zones.