journal article·2025-11-12Open access

Research Review on Traffic Safety for Expressway Maintenance Road Sections

Jin Ran, Meiling Li, Shiyang Zhan, Dong Tang, Naitian Zhang, Xiaomin Dai

Applied Sciences· Volume 15· Issue 22

Abstract

With the aging of China’s expressway network, the number of maintenance projects continues to increase, and issues such as construction safety, driving risk, and traffic efficiency have become increasingly prominent. This paper systematically reviews relevant research progress from four aspects: safety characteristics, traffic capacity, work-zone layout, and speed limit management. The review indicates that Western scholars have made extensive use of rich data resources—such as traffic parameters and accident records from expressway maintenance road sections—and have developed relatively systematic and well-established research frameworks in theoretical analysis, practical application, and evaluation methods. In contrast, Chinese studies have mainly relied on specific maintenance projects, commonly employing on-site investigations and traffic simulations to address particular problems, with limited systematization and generalization. Looking forward, it is essential to further strengthen the standardized collection and statistical analysis of traffic data (including accident data) for expressway maintenance road sections. Meanwhile, for complex scenarios such as multi-lane segments, special road sections, reconstruction and expansion sections, as well as extreme climatic conditions and nighttime operations, comprehensive research should be conducted by leveraging new-generation driving simulation, big data analytics, and artificial intelligence technologies, thereby providing scientific support and methodological foundations for building a systematic theoretical framework for traffic safety in expressway maintenance road sections.
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Research context

OpenAlex topics: Traffic and Road Safety · Traffic control and management · Traffic Prediction and Management Techniques

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

School of Traffic and Transportation Engineering, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830017, China

Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Green Construction and Smart Traffic Control of Transportation Infrastructure, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830017, China

School of Traffic Engineering, Shandong Jianzhu University, Jinan 250101, China

Funding

Natural Science Foundation General Project of Xinjiang · Tianchi Talent Introduction Plan Leading Innovative Talents Project of Xinjiang · Natural Science Foundation Project of Xinjiang · Key Research Project of Xinjiang Transportation Investment Group · Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region College Students’ Innovation Training Program

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