Research on Dynamic Lane Control Technology of Expressways Under Event Conditions

To alleviate the impact of expressway emergencies on traffic operations, this study investigates a dynamic lane control method based on control units under incident conditions. First, the definition of control units is proposed, along with dynamic lane control types, methods, and principles. Next, taking an eight-lane bidirectional expressway in an urban cluster area as an example, a dynamic lane control scheme is analyzed for incidents involving vehicle breakdowns in the outermost lane. The proposed scheme includes dynamic lane management and speed control strategies for each control unit. Finally, the effectiveness of the dynamic lane control strategy is validated using VISSIM microscopic simulation. Results show that implementing the strategy increases vehicle operating speeds in upstream sections by 23–40 km/h. Additionally, emergency braking decreases significantly, with reductions in per-lane and per-section deceleration time (below 2 m/s2) by 0.1–18.9 s/(veh·km) and 1.9–3.3 s/(veh·km), respectively. These findings demonstrate that dynamic lane control under incident conditions effectively enhances corridor efficiency and reduces operational risks.