Should you hire traffic control, or do it yourself?

When you begin a new road project, no matter how big or how small, this question is bound to come up. Then you are left with an important choice to make. Is it a worthy choice to hire out traffic control management? Or is it better to maintain traffic control yourself?

The answer may depend heavily on the size of the project. Larger projects obviously might want to use traffic control, while smaller projects might get away with handling the traffic themselves. To learn more tips on starting a project, check out What municipalities need to be asking in the bidding process.

Below we’ve outlined some of the factors to consider when choosing to D.I.Y. or hire out. Considering these factors will help your decision and will result in whatever is best for the project.

Hiring Out:

Pros

• Experienced and certified traffic controllers

• No more worrying about traffic
• Help from law enforcement

Cons

• Extra cost
• Coordinating with traffic controllers

Doing it Yourself:

Pros

• Save money

• No hiring process to go through
• Using trustworthy workers

Cons

• No certified traffic controllers
• Coordinating traffic and actual job simultaneously

In addition, municipalities should consider which route a contractor is taking with traffic control. This will determine the safety of the workers, where traffic is going to be slow or have to be detoured, who is liable for any issues, and how quickly the project will be completed.

For large projects, it is usually best to hire out. This can give you peace of mind. Experienced traffic management workers, and occasionally law enforcement, will be able to protect workers on the road while taking away the worry of having to deal with angry and unsafe drivers.

In small projects, you may opt to have your own workers manage traffic. If the project is somewhat minor, and won’t take very long, it will be an easy and painless experience for your workers. This will be easy to accomplish, and will save you money.

Although traffic control might seem minor at first glance, it’s a very important aspect of beginning a project, especially one that is long and widespread. Thinking about it beforehand will save you any trouble, and maximize the efficiency and safety of your project.