Expressways mean the primary arterial highways with a high level of efficiency and safety. However, Gyeongbu and Namhae expressways connected with Busan ports are showing travel time delay by increased traffic including the medium/ large-sized vehicles of about 20% compared to those of about 13% regardless of the peak periods. This study, thus, intends to analyze lane traffic characteristics in the basic 8-lane segments of the above-mentioned expressways, compute the planning and buffer times based on travel time reliability, find the lane speed showing a higher correlation with planning time between the lane speeds in the basic 8-lane segments, and finally suggest a correlation model for predicting the planning time in expressways.

Generally an urban freeway means a primary arterial which provides road users with a free-flow speed, except for ramp junctions during rush hours. However, most road users suffer from traffic congestion in the basic segments as well as in the ramp junctions of urban freeway during rush hours, because most road users prefer urban freeways to local roads in the urban areas. This study then intends to analyze lane traffic characteristics of urban freeway basic segments having more freight vehicles during rush hours, find the lane showing a high correlation with the segment speed between lane speeds, and finally suggest a segment-speed predictive model by the lane speed of urban freeway basic segments during rush hours.