Dynamic Control of Variable Lanes on Port Collector‐Distributor Expressway

The port collector‐distributor expressways are important channels connecting large ports and inland hinterlands. The traffic volume and composition on port collector‐distributor expressways are significantly influenced by the arrival and departure of cargo ships, resulting in significant variations between periods with and without freight tasks. To improve the operational efficiency and traffic safety on these expressways, this study proposes a dynamic lane function control model that can dynamically control lane functions on multilane expressways based on identified future spatiotemporal traffic conditions. Specifically, first, based on historical multisource data and comprehensive consideration of traffic flow and composition, typical scenarios of collector‐distributor expressways are classified. Second, a lane allocation scheme generation model is constructed, the objective function and related constraints are clarified, and a solving algorithm based on a genetic algorithm is proposed. Furthermore, a simulation framework based on Simulation of Urban Mobility (SUMO) and CARLA simulator is built for simulation and verification. Finally, a detailed case study analysis is conducted on the 11 km section of Tianjin Port’s collector‐distributor expressway, and the proposed dynamic control model is validated based on the simulation framework. The results from the simulations were consistent with the outputs generated by the model, confirming that the proposed method can effectively improve the operational efficiency of port collector‐distributor expressways.