# Planning Autonomous Vehicle Maneuvering in Work Zones Through Game-Theoretic Trajectory Generation

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.19556 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2603.19556/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Placed in Cooperative and V2X driving, one of 9 directions in End-to-end autonomous driving.
- Builds on 4 of its 25 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 20 Mar 2026.

## Placed in

- End-to-end autonomous driving / [Cooperative and V2X driving](https://mlsanity.com/driving/cooperative-and-v2x-driving/)

## Builds on (most cited first, 4 of 4)

- [Hierarchical Game-Theoretic Planning for Autonomous Vehicles](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1810.05766/) (2018)
- [Trajectory Planning for Autonomous Vehicles Using Hierarchical Reinforcement Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2011.04752/) (2020)
- [I Know You Can't See Me: Dynamic Occlusion-Aware Safety Validation of Strategic Planners for Autonomous Vehicles Using Hypergames](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2109.09807/) (2021)
- [Generalized dynamic cognitive hierarchy models for strategic driving behavior](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2109.09861/) (2021)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Work zone navigation remains one of the most challenging manoeuvres for autonomous vehicles (AVs), where constrained geometries and unpredictable traffic patterns create a high-risk environment. Despite extensive research on AV trajectory planning, few studies address the decision-making required to navigate work zones safely. This paper proposes a novel game-theoretic framework for trajectory generation and control to enhance the safety of lane changes in a work zone environment. By modelling the lane change manoeuvre as a non-cooperative game between vehicles, we use a game-theoretic planner to generate trajectories that balance safety, progress, and traffic stability. The simulation results show that the proposed game-theoretic model reduces the frequency of conflicts by 35 percent and decreases the probability of high risk safety events compared to traditional vehicle behaviour planning models in safety-critical highway work-zone scenarios.