Identification and Prioritization of Factors Affecting the Traffic Disruption on Highways

Transportation, as one of the factors affecting economic prosperity, increases the opportunities for access to welfare and national facilities by shifting freight and passengers. The study of the transportation sector as a prerequisite and developmental infrastructure plays a fundamental and effective role in the reproduction of the potential talents of societies and promotes the rapid and wider strengthening of the various economic, social and cultural sectors of the countries. On the other hand, the expansion of transportation facilities and transportation infrastructure, despite the creation of many benefits for citizens, is also considered as one of the factors driving up an increase in accidents. In recent years, transport managers have been trying to improve traffic and safety by using traffic management techniques. Meanwhile, traffic disorder has become a major constraint on traffic behavior in road networks, especially highways and freeways, which can be improved to a large extent by identifying its factors and using new solutions. Hence, in the current research, attempts are made to identify and prioritize the factors affecting the traffic disruption. Therefore, firstly, the factors influencing the traffic disruption are identified and evaluated. Then, using the hierarchical analysis process and Expert selection software, the priority level of each of the factors is determined. For this process, expert opinions are used through the questionnaire and with the target community of experts. The results show that human factors are at first level with 39.2%, management factors in the second order with 24.6%, traffic factors in the third level with 20.5%, and infrastructural factors are in the fourth order with 15.7%.