MANAGING AIRPORT TRAFFIC DISRUPTIONS DURING CONSTRUCTION

The George Bush Intercontinental Airport/Houston (IAH) has multiple construction projects planned for the next several years. All of these projects will involve a temporary closure of roadways or traffic lanes, as well as changing traffic operations in and around the airport. Two separate, but correlated simulation models are used to represent the vehicular traffic operations at IAH. The Terminal and Curbside Roadways are modeled using a discrete event simulation model, the TRACS (TransSolutions' proprietary terminal, roadway, and curbside simulation tool), which allowed a detailed representation of vehicle parking to accommodate passenger loading and unloading, pedestrian crossing, and vehicle re-circulation. TRACS' trip generator and model logic is validated through extensive field data. Airport Access Roadways and Regional Freeways covering 25 square miles are modeled by CORSIM, a microscopic traffic simulation model developed by the Federal Highway Administration. This paper presents the methodology in identifying the critical construction phases to be studied, the modeling framework, and how it is used to assess and manage construction impact.