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Highway & Network Management

Highways England to trial different speeds through road works
August 6, 2018
Highways England is trialling different speed limits through roadworks during different times in order to respond to drivers’ feedback. Highways England, the government-owned company responsible for modernising, maintaining and operating England’s motorways and major A roads, said it is acting on drivers’ frustration with roadworks. Speed through motorway roadworks could be increased depending on what day of the week they are travelling. The decision follows earlier trials to increase the speed l
Netherlands traffic congestion increasing
July 5, 2018
The Netherlands is seeing a massive increase in traffic congestion on its road network. Traffic volumes for the first six months of 2018 were 20% higher than for the same period in the previous year. The data was collated by the Netherlands-based transport body ANWB. This also reveals that the most severe congestion problems occurred on the A4 highway between Amsterdam and Rotterdam, the A20 highway between the Hoek van Holland and Gouda and the A27 highway between Utrecht and Breda.
The era of workzone data
July 4, 2018
Portable work zone messaging is now integral - not an add-on - when it comes to safety on large-scale highway projects. Andrew Williams* reports. Portable work zone ITS solutions have emerged in recent years as important flexible tools for managing major roadwork projects, from new-build to upgrades. They effectively ensure traffic disruption is kept to a minimum and lives can be saved. As such, the technology forms a central component of a major €1.7 billion project in the southern English county of Cambr
Lagos state lights up with Low Energy Designs
June 27, 2018
Nigeria’s Lagos state government has outsourced around a third of its street lighting under a deal with UK manufacturer Low Energy Designs. The partnership deal will see LED replace up to 10,000 lights over 300km of state roads within the next year at a cost of US$7 million, Nigeria’s media reported. Products will be from Low Energy Design’s Phoenix Ultra and Norrsken ranges. Included is the deployment of the company’s HESS - hybrid energy storage system – units of which will also be installed across the h
AGD launches larger zone AGD 645 pedestrian detector
June 27, 2018
AGD Systems has increased the zone of detection for its 645 pedestrian detector, the AGD 645. The 645 used to offer a 5m x 3m detection zone. Now, the optical kerbside detector covers a 10m x 3m zone in standard build format. This is to monitor the new super-crossings that are increasingly deployed internationally, said Ian Hind, AGD’s commercial director. “We are seeing this already in many locations worldwide, particularly at modal intersections such as bus and rail stations, as well as in busy city cen
WSP to update the UK’s cycling infrastructure design guidance
June 26, 2018
Engineering services provide WSP has been appointed by the UK’s Department for Transport to revise and update design guidance for cycling infrastructure. Updating design criteria is a key aspect within the government’s Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy. The goal is to increase cycling and walking and by making them a natural choice for shorter journeys or as part of a longer trip. “It is hoped that this refresh will ensure that the guidance aligns to current legislation and will provide best practic
Swarco signs helps the Tour de Yorkshire bicycle race in the UK
June 26, 2018
Swarco Traffic helped UK local authorities with mobile variable message signs during the recent Tour de Yorkshire professional bicycle race. The manufacturers says that its mobile VMS incorporates LED technology with a high-contrast ratio, wide viewing angle and provides excellent character uniformity. The LEDs operate on a very low current and feature Swarco’s patented colour-mixing lens, resulting in higher levels of reliability and performance while consuming less power, according to the manufacturer. T
New camera system offers accurate detection capabilities
June 15, 2018
Image Sensing Solutions is now offering its sophisticated range of 5.1 MP, 154fps Camera Link V2.0 modules. These units feature the firm’s advanced global-shutter CMOS technology. The XCL-SG510 camera series is suited to duties in a wide range of sectors and can be used to capture high-speed moving objects in low (0.5 lx), imperfect or changing lighting conditions. The black/white and colour modules make use of the large bandwidth available through Camera Link to provide both high frame rates and on-camera
Highways England reappoints Mott MacDonald to Change Advisory Board
June 14, 2018
Mott MacDonald will continue to manage Highways England’s Change Advisory Board and its websites for technical specifications four years after the initial appointment. The contract is due to finish in 2020, with the potential to extend service provision for two six-month increments at the end of the first year. Mott MacDonald said that the board is the essential forum which safeguards the technical development of Highways Agency Traffic Management Systems. Highways England relies on it to control its
Parsons wins contract for busy California route
June 13, 2018
Parsons is now working on a project to improve the State Route 91 Freeway in California’s Orange County. Parsons has won an on-call consulting services agreement contract from the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA). The Orange County segment of the 91 Express Lanes consists of a four-lane toll facility located on the median of the State Route 91 freeway. The SR 91 route runs between the south side of Los Angeles, straight out of Compton, and the east of the city, to Riverside, where it becomes I-