This paper presents the development of a simulation model to evaluate the impact of increased 18-wheel truck traffic on the I-10 tunnel crossing the Mobile River in downtown Mobile, Alabama. The increased truck traffic is resulting from overall globalization of international trade and from truck traffic resulting from the expansion of the container terminal at the Port of Mobile. A number of alternatives were evaluated to reduce passenger traffic while increasing truck traffic, including alternative passenger traffic routes, carpooling and passenger car ferries. Included in this paper are a description of the simulation model, the experimental design, the simulation results and lessons learned.
Simulating the Impact of Increased Truck Traffic through Tunnel Crossing Mobile River