www.highwaysmagazine.co.uk


Digital signs could help tackle backlog of road repairs


After severe rainfall over winter, digital signs could play a pivotal role in work to tackle a huge backlog of road repairs, says Andrew Leigh of Mobile Traffi c Solutions


Plans to tackle Britain’s so-called pothole crisis through a new collaborative approach can only be regarded as good news.


But the success of each project, in the eyes of road users at least, is likely to depend on how effectively traffi c can be kept moving during the repair work. After all, drivers care little about who is responsible for the latest hole in the road as they beat a path through congestion.


Keeping the country on the move will pose a problem that demands an intelligent solution and signs that use real-time data to help maintain traffi c fl ow could be key. Portable variable message signs (pVMS) have been shown to reduce the impact of roadworks thanks to their ability to react to conditions.


By displaying specifi c information, advance warnings and suggesting alternative routes, they can minimise delays for road users approaching areas of disruption. And by providing operators with the chance to input up-to-the-minute instructions, they can play a pivotal role in making sure traffi c is kept moving at the heart of every repair project.


It’s intelligent management that ensures roads in the UK are used to their maximum capacity just when demand is at its peak. It’s also part of the ‘smarter’ approach to wider transport issues brought about by constraints on public funding.


The new combined strategy towards the road repair programme is an


effort by public and private sector groups to keep costs and disruption to a minimum. Councils, businesses and utility services have at last agreed to work together, rather than as independent parties, so that the number of roadworks can be reduced.


Coordination is key


If those road repairs can be coordinated and well managed, then it would benefi t us all and it seems imperative that the new approach will fi nd an effective way to deal with congestion.


Portable programmable LED units, often powered by sustainable solar rechargeable batteries, are a versatile solution that display messages which can be changed at the fl ick of a switch. They can have a profound effect on journey times by helping drivers to avoid jams and can pass on crucial safety information by warning of road closures, as past projects have shown.


The success of a complex project in central London is a striking example of how pVMS can enhance the collaborative approach to road repairs. A string of utility suppliers joined forces to carry out maintenance work at the same time and portable LED signs were used to help keep traffi c and cycle routes on the move while the roadworks took place.


Contractors wanted to be able to change the message on the units at short notice, at day or night, throughout the length of the works to re-direct traffi c one way or the other, to help reduce congestion and warn of possible delays. The trailer-mounted signs


APRIL 2014


Digital signs can display specifi c information to help cut down congestion


Flooding forced the closure of several roads around the M25 in Surrey and several units were used to pre-warn drivers and direct traffi c away from the area


created a smooth operation through effective communication right in the heart of the city and that should be one of the main priorities in this new way of doing things.


Diverting traffi c away


from fl ooded roads The signs came into their own again when severe wet weather caused a section of the River Thames to burst its banks. Flooding forced the closure of several roads around the M25 in Surrey and several units were used to pre-warn drivers and direct traffi c away from the area.


Signs are fully compliant for use on highways or urban roads but compact enough to deploy in many different locations. It’s a cost-effective solution which is easy to operate and manoeuvre, requires low maintenance and is energy effi cient.


Each is pre-programmed with up to 200 Highways Agency approved messages and pictograms, but creating bespoke messages with drop-down menus is simple. And because they are capable of displaying the highest legibility in messages and graphics, they are particularly versatile.


Intelligent management can reduce the number of collisions by helping to smooth the fl ow of stop-start traffi c and that can have a dramatic impact on vehicle wear and tear as well as helping to save fuel and reduce emissions.


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