LTAP Highlights Pub 213 Changes that Affect Municipalities

Posted on February 23, 2021 |

The March 2021 version of Publication 213, Temporary Traffic Control Guidelines, contains a variety of updates and enhancements to information about temporary work zones. Many of the updates clarify previous information in the publication and were not changes per se to PennDOT policy. For example, the requirement for using a shadow vehicle while mowing did not change. Rather, information about this traffic control measure, including a new drawing and notes (PATA 307), were added to the publication.

  Other updates to Publication 213, however, did affect municipalities, including the following:

Under definitions, the duration of a short-term operation was extended from less than 24 hours to less than 72. Since most local maintenance activities are short-term operations, this provides municipalities with more time to conduct such activities while still following the short-term PATA drawings.
Sign legibility minimum distance requirements based on the speed of the road were added to Note A-2.
Also under Note A-2, flagger positioning was changed from 40 feet minimum distance from the first channelizing device to a range of 25 to 100 feet.
With the addition of PATA 116B, short-term closures of low-volume roads with fewer than 1,500 vehicles per day may now use a red-arrow detour.
New guidance is provided for intersection traffic control options, such as painting crosswalks, stop bars, turn arrows, and other markings, at tee- (PATA 109 series) and four-way intersections (PATA 110 series).

In PATA 109 and 110, newly added drawings depict temporary traffic control that must be in place at two-way stop, all-way stop, traffic signals, and other permanent traffic control locations, for example, when maintenance is performed on pavement markings, such as crosswalks, stop bars, and turn arrows, near intersections.
Newly added figures (PATA GA 06 series) show the placement of signs that are required on side roads that intersect with roads where temporary traffic control is in place.
New figures (PATA GA 13 and GA14 A/B) address hills, curves, and other obstructions that could impact sight lines to flaggers and traffic control devices.
New figures (PATA GA 15 series) address temporary pavement markings for seal coat operations.

  Click here for Publication 213. Click here to access a free recorded LTAP virtual drop-in session. LTAP will also hold two free webinars March 18 and 19 on temporary traffic control at work zones, during which the 2021 updates will be covered. Click here to register for the March 18 session. Click here to register for the March 19 session.