How many traffic controllers a job needs depends on the road, the traffic, the length of the work and what can be seen from each end. Then come the extras that are easy to forget at quote time: side roads, the end of the queue, pedestrians, spotters for plant and relief for breaks. This calculator works through each one from the current rules and gives you a crew list with the reason and clause for every person.
NSW rules come from TS 05492 (June 2026) and Queensland's from QGTTM Part 3. Our guide to stop/slow traffic control explains how a shuttle works.
How many traffic controllers on a two-lane road (NSW)
On a two-lane, two-way road where one lane is closed, TS 05492 Table 46 sets the minimum:
- None. Only when every one of these applies: under 100 vehicles a day, a speed under 70 km/h, each end of the work site visible from the other, a work area shorter than 100 m, and single-lane signs in place. Otherwise at least one controller or PTCD is required.
- One. Traffic is 500 vehicles a day or less and the sight distance from the control point is at least the Table 47 minimum. The controller (or device) goes at the end of the obstructed lane.
- Two. Traffic is over 500 vehicles a day, the work area is longer than 250 m, or the controller in the obstructed lane can't see far enough to the other approach.
Table 47 is the sight distance check behind the one-controller option. At a permanent speed of 100 km/h or less it is 300 m when the work area is under 60 m, and the work length plus 250 m otherwise. At 110 km/h it is 400 m, or the length plus 350 m. We checked the 110 km/h row against the published PDF.
Each controller also has to be visible to approaching drivers from at least 1.5 × D, where D is the speed of the zone drivers are in before the controller, in metres. The sight distance check measures that with your phone.
Which device the speed allows
On TfNSW work sites, Table 44 ties the device to the permanent posted speed:
| Device | Example | Allowed up to | Clause |
|---|---|---|---|
| STOP/SLOW bat | Controller with a bat | 50 km/h | Table 44 |
| Manually operated PTCD | Gibney barrier | 60 km/h | Table 44 |
| Remotely controlled PTCD | Portable traffic signals, boom barriers | All speeds | Table 44 |
Bats are still allowed above 50 km/h when one of the s12.4.2.1 exemptions applies: incident or emergency response, a position in place for under 60 minutes, traffic stopped 4 or fewer times an hour, a road under 200 vehicles a day ending at a T-junction, or controllers moving with the work, as in resurfacing.
The speed at the controller matters too: 50 km/h or less at a bat and 60 km/h or less at a PTCD on TfNSW sites, starting more than 100 m before the position (s12.4.3.2). Queensland sets 60 km/h or less on the approach to any controller or PTCD, and asks for PTCDs rather than bats where traffic is over 500 vehicles a day at 70 km/h or more. For portable signals, the portable traffic signal timing tool gives the starting times.
Multi-lane roads
Under Table 48 a bat or a manual PTCD controls one lane only, so traffic is merged before each control point. Portable signals under manual control can hold two lanes, but only with lanterns duplicated on the shoulder and median, synchronised to show the same aspect, and the T1-18 and T1-30 signs duplicated on both sides. The calculator counts one controller per direction you stop and adds the duplicated kit.
Queensland shuttle flow
QGTTM Part 3 s5.4.4 asks for active traffic control (controllers or PTCDs) at each end of a shuttle. There are two exceptions:
- GIVE WAY and ONE LANE signs: 150 vehicles an hour or less (both directions), 70 km/h or less, each entry visible from the other, a single lane of 120 m or less and at least 200 m sight past the far end.
- Natural give and take: a single lane of 60 m or less on a residential street with 75 m visibility, or with over 150 m visibility, 40 vehicles an hour or less and 70 km/h or less.
Table 5.4 then caps how long the single-lane section should be for the two-way volume: 800 m at 300 vehicles an hour or less, down to 70 m at 701 to 800 vehicles an hour. Longer needs traffic engineering input.
The extras that change the crew
Side roads and intersection legs. One controller never holds more than one approach. Queensland's guide says so directly and asks for a controller where traffic enters from a side road. TS 05492 asks for effective control at intersections without giving a number, so the tool counts one controller per extra approach you list and leaves the final call to the TGS.
End of the queue. In NSW, where the controller at the control point can't keep the end of the queue in view, s11.8.2 asks for an extra controller who watches the queue with the bat on SLOW and stays in radio contact. The queue counter shows how long the queue really gets.
Pedestrians and cyclists. A controller guiding people around the works is the last option, only when no safe temporary path exists. See pedestrian management at work sites.
Spotters. Spotters for reversing plant come from your SWMS, so you enter the number and the tool adds them to the crew.
Relief for breaks
In NSW (s12.4.3.1) and Queensland (s5.10.2), a controller on a bat or PTCD is relieved at least every 2 hours for at least 15 minutes. A controller doesn't leave the position until relieved. Under the construction award (MA000020 cl. 18.1) there should be no more than 5 hours without a meal break. The length of the meal break comes from your award or agreement, so you set it.
The tool works out each controller's time off position, then how many people keep every position covered. You can also limit how many positions one relief can reach on foot. TS 05492 Table 7 suggests planned shifts of no more than 12 hours, and 8 to 10 hours for night or high-demand shifts. Our fatigue management guide covers rostering.
A worked example
A crew is patching a 120 m section of road on a TfNSW work site. The permanent limit is 60 km/h with a 40 km/h zone ahead of the controllers, so D = 40 m. The road carries 1,200 vehicles a day. One side road joins inside the site, and an excavator will reverse across the closed lane.
| Step | Rule | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Count on the shuttle | Table 46: over 500 vehicles a day | 2 controllers |
| Table 47 sight distance | 120 m + 250 m | 370 m needed; 340 m measured, so 2 controllers anyway |
| Device at 60 km/h permanent | Table 44 | Bat not allowed (no exemption); manual PTCD allowed |
| Side road | One controller per approach | +1 controller |
| Relief, 10 h shift, 30 min meal | 2-hour relief, 5-hour meal | 3 positions need 1 relief |
| Spotter for the excavator | SWMS | +1 spotter |
That's 4 traffic controllers plus 1 spotter, three manual PTCDs with back-up bats, four radios and 12 centreline cones. Each controller needs to be visible from 60 m (1.5 × 40). Next, put the crew into the labour cost calculator or the traffic control quote builder to price it.
When to get professional advice
The number on the TGS is the one that counts. The PWZ-qualified designer (NSW) or the traffic management designer (QLD) can add controllers for things a calculator can't see: a blind crest, a school zone, heavy plant movements or a history of driver abuse. Victoria, WA and SA tables aren't loaded yet, so for those states the tool takes the control points from your TGS and only adds the extras and relief.