Skip to main content

MARS marches on in safety

A new automatic cone laying and removal system, designed to provide total safety for highways operatives, has successfully undergone testing in Switzerland. The advanced Mobile Automatic Roadblock System (MARS), developed by Dutch designers and manufacturers, Traf-IQ, has been operated during highways maintenance work on Amsterdam's A9 and A10 motorways. MARS automatically places a rumble strip, a light arrow and an attenuator as well as the miles of cones, and then automatically, safely and efficiently rem
February 10, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
The MARS system from Traf-IQ avoids the need for any manual laying or retrieval of traffic cones and other road management materials
A new automatic cone laying and removal system, designed to provide total safety for highways operatives, has successfully undergone testing in Switzerland.

The advanced Mobile Automatic Roadblock System (MARS), developed by Dutch designers and manufacturers, 2564 Traf-IQ, has been operated during highways maintenance work on Amsterdam's A9 and A10 motorways.

MARS automatically places a rumble strip, a light arrow and an attenuator as well as the miles of cones, and then automatically, safely and efficiently removes them.

According to Peter van Nes of Traf-IQ, the Swiss Bauamt für Straßen (Building Authority for Roads) and various Kantons are, for safety reasons, willing to forbid the manual neutralisation of traffic lanes, especially since the MARS proved able to do the job automatically, safely and reliably.

"The Zürich Kanton has profoundly tested the system on its network around Zürich, on highways and in tunnels, always with good results. We are actually in the process of building a smaller version of MARS to fit their slightly smaller lanes" he said.

"National Swiss television followed all of it while making the documentary, which was aired as part of a programme called Einstein. Soon the MARS will become part of the Swiss scenery." In contrast to the smaller model, Traf-IQ is to build a bigger version of MARS, which contains approximately 500 cones, allowing fast lane closures in lengthy tunnels, while also developing a demountable automatic rumble mat-laying device so that users do not have to get out in live traffic to lay down rumble strips.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Road safety training partnership in Africa and South America
    February 14, 2012
    The World Bank Global Road Safety Facility and IRF work together to reduce the toll of road deaths and serious injuries in low and middle-income countries
  • Clever approach to reducing bridge vibrations
    November 14, 2013
    Reducing vibrations on a bridge, supplying high-quality binders to emerging countries and helping small and medium players with warm mix, this month’s stories showcase some innovative bitumen technology solutions - Kristina Smith reports The Kessock Bridge in the Highlands of Scotland has become the third bridge in the UK to be resurfaced with Gussasphalt. A dense mastic asphalt containing Nynas Endura N5, a polymer modified binder, Gussasphalt has been designed to have a longer life than standard mastic as
  • Golden route to success
    July 20, 2012
    Built in 1937 and still the ninth longest suspension bridge in the world, the Golden Gate Bridge across San Francisco Bay remains in fine shape despite its age - Andrew Bardin Williams writes The Golden Gate Bridge turned 75 years old on May 27 and continues to play a key role in the transportation, engineering, construction and ITS communities. The structure has played an important historical role, an engineering success that boosted the economy of the region. And it also led the way as the first major pub
  • The MBT-1 from Mobile Barriers now protecting workers in the UK
    August 14, 2019
    Two giant US-made 21m-long mobile barriers are now keeping highway maintenance workers safe in England.