An Operational Evaluation of Truck Restrictions on Six-Lane Rural Interstates in Texas

With the increased expansion of rural Interstates to six lanes, questions have arisen as to the proper operational strategy of those facilities. One approach is to restrict trucks and other large vehicles from one or more of the lanes. The effects of such a restriction, however, have not been extensively studied. This study analyzes the operational effects of three left-lane truck restrictions on six-lane rural Interstates in Texas. Although the directional distribution of trucks changed significantly, no effects were found on the directional distribution of cars, the time gaps between vehicles, or the speeds of either cars or trucks that could be attributed to the truck restriction.