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    Safety & Traffic Operations

    Enhancing Work Zone Safety: PennDOT Piloting Tools to Protect Work Crews and Motorists

    Image of three connected orange mobile barriers set up side-by-side while two men demonstrate the mobile barrier system.

    Work zones are a test of shared awareness and responsibility. Drivers must slow down. Crews must stay visible. To aid in these efforts, PennDOT continues evaluating tools to help workers stay protected and help drivers understand the role they play in work zone safety. Each tool has its own benefits, and together,  they create a clearer, calmer, and safer path through active work areas. 

    PennDOT districts continue to refine where each work zone safety tool performs best. Some work better in urban areas, while others excel in high-speed corridors where drivers need more reaction time. Collecting real-world feedback helps determine best practices and informs future rollout decisions.

    PennDOT’s approach stays grounded in practical improvements. Faster barrier setups, increased flagger visibility, advanced alerts and improved nighttime guidance all reduce risks. 

    “Using these tools is saving lives,” said Michael Groody, a senior traffic control specialist in PennDOT’s Bureau of Operations. “And in work zones, saving a life is the only metric that ever really matters.” 

    To learn more about each safety and traffic operations innovation, please select the name of the innovation below.  

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    Archer Guard Safety Barrier System

    The Archer Guard Safety Barrier System offers a nimble alternative to traditional, equipment-heavy barriers. Crews can roll the system into place in minutes, making it ideal for short-duration work or operations that move more than a traffic signal during the lunch rush. The system reduces setup time and limits worker exposure. 

    “Anything that shortens the time we are in the roadway makes a difference,” said Groody. “Archer Guard gives us that advantage.” 

    PennDOT plans to pilot the system in early spring 2026.

    Image of a black truck hauling a white trailer with orange barriers loaded onto it. The Archer Guard Safety Barrier System can be rolled into place in minutes, making it ideal for short-duration operations.

    Guardian Lights on Stop and Slow Paddles

    Flaggers work the front lines where safety is of the utmost importance. 

    To enhance safety, PennDOT is utilizing guardian lights, often called LED flashing paddles, on stop and slow paddles to boost visibility of flaggers in work zones. These 18-inch to 24-inch paddles feature rechargeable, battery-powered LEDs embedded in the lettering with both flashing and steady-burn modes.

    These flashing paddles provide high-visibility illumination, visible up to one mile away in low-light or bad weather conditions, offering a strong visual cue long before drivers reach the taper. 

    After a small battery issue during the first week, the lights quickly proved successful. Crews are reporting better compliance from and fewer, last-second braking instances.  

    “Feedback from the crews has been one hundred percent positive,” said Groody.

    An image of a red sign with white lettering with the word stop shown in all capital letters on the red part of the sign. At the top and bottom of the sign, a LED flashing lights are visible. guardian angel elite light placement on stop paddle.jpg
    An image of a black and orange sign with the word slow shown in all capital letters on the orange part of the sign. At the top and bottom of the sign, a LED flashing lights are visible. The guardian lights, or LED flashing paddles, provide high-visibility illumination.

    Smart Arrow Boards

    Smart Arrow Boards connect familiar work zone messaging to real-time navigation systems, offering proactive management of traffic conditions and improved safety. 

    When activated, the boards automatically communicate lane closures to PennDOT’s 511PA website, and other mapping apps, giving drivers information well in advance of the closure. Advance warning of lane closures provides crucial time for drivers to safely adjust their speed, behavior and lane position, which significantly reduces the risk of a crash. It allows for orderly merging, reduces traffic congestion, and protects workers or emergency personnel in the upcoming activity area. 

    “Ninety-five percent of the boards are activated weekly, and when they turn on, the data turns on,” said Brian Crossley, manager of the Temporary Traffic Control Unit in PennDOT’s Bureau of Operations. “Early notice changes everything.”

    Sequential LED Roadway Flares

    The image shows LED flares lighting up part of the roadway at nighttime. On the right-hand side, a tow truck is seen pulling a disabled car onto its truck bed. An image of the sequential road safety flares is seen in the bottom left of the image. Reusable LED flares are easy to deploy and provide advanced traffic guidance and safety. The flares can be used to supplement other traffic control devices.

    These reusable LED flares can help provide a lighted pathway through the work zone by supplementing other traffic control devices.

    Lightweight, bright and rechargeable, they can be seen a half a mile away and even illuminate cones from the inside. Approaching drivers see a sequentially lit string of flares, similar to a runway landing strip, which help to safely guide traffic around the incident or through the work zone. The flares are easy to deploy and provide advanced traffic guidance and safety. 

    PennDOT district staff have shared positive feedback on the flares for ease of use and enhanced safety. PennDOT District 8, based in Harrisburg is moving toward requiring the flares in contract work. 

    “These flares are a great low-cost solution to enhance work zone safety,” said Crossley. “When our team discusses these flares with our highway foremen, it generates a lot of interest.”

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