Swarco signs for slower Swansea speed limit

In March, the Welsh government passed a law which from September will see the default speed limit on restricted roads in Wales reduced from 30mph (50kph) to 20mph (32kph).
By David Arminas June 30, 2023 Read time: 2 mins
The signs are all being manufactured and rigorously tested at Swarco’s factory in Melsonby in the English county of North Yorkshire (image courtesy Swarco UK & Ireland)

Swarco has signed an agreement with the Welsh city of Swansea to design and install signage to support the new 32kph (20mph) urban speed limit.
 
In March, the Welsh government passed a law which from September will see the default speed limit on restricted roads in Wales reduced from 30mph (50kph) to 20mph. To support the upcoming changes to the speed limit, local authorities in Wales are working to make the necessary alterations to existing highway signage to ensure drivers are aware of the changes.
 
Following an open competitive tender process on Sell2Wales in late 2022, Swansea Council entered into a commercial contract with Swarco to replace its existing vehicle speed activated signs (VAS) with new electronic sign units that dynamically display the approaching vehicle’s actual speed. These signs will display the vehicle speed in ‘GREEN’ if the vehicle is complying with the new default speed limit and in ‘RED’ if not. This new contract is designed to work in co-ordination with an existing service and maintenance contract which was already in place.
 
The new agreement will see Swarco install 120 bespoke vehicle activated signs throughout Swansea. The signs, which are all manufactured and rigorously tested at Swarco’s factory in Melsonby in the English county of North Yorkshire, feature Swarco’s EPIX lens technology system to ensure the lowest power consumption.
 
The signs use a radar to detect vehicle speeds and use an energy efficient LED display to clearly show messages to oncoming drivers, as well as being equipped with highly intelligent internal data logging, which is stored within the signs, to provide statistical feedback and data on the number of activations, vehicle speeds and volumes. The council will be able to easily monitor changing driver behaviour.
 
“We are pleased to further extend our working relationship with Swansea Council,” said Derek Williamson, business development manager at Swarco UK & Ireland. “We have worked closely with them to fully understand their requirements and have designed a high quality, reliable, durable and energy efficient solution that delivers a low lifetime cost.”

Highway & Network Management

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • The Preston Western Distributor
    September 7, 2023
    Costain, as main contractor for the Preston Western Distributor project, was involved from the earliest stages, thanks to the UK’s Early Contractor Involvement approach. The project was delivered on time and on budget to the benefit of the local environment, local businesses and the region’s workforce. David Arminas reports*
    Read More
  • Symology supplies the foundations for Tarmac’s Street Works business
    April 7, 2017
    UK contractor Tarmac has been in partnership with Symology since 2011, using a shared management service for asset management to meet tougher government street work regulations, writes Matt Waite Tarmac, with more than 6,600 employees, is the UK’s leading sustainable building materials and construction solutions business. The company has over 330 UK sites from which it delivers contracting and highways maintenance services as well as products such as aggregates, asphalt, cement, lime and ready-mix concre
    Read More
  • Hamm | Self-monitoring in earthworks via Smart Doc
    April 1, 2021
    With Smart Doc, Hamm presents an app with which compaction in earthworks can be transparently documented and the result shared with third parties. The lean app was developed in close coordination with building practitioners. The focus here was on the possibility of self-monitoring when it comes to compaction in earthworks. Smart Doc also fulfils the minimum requirements of continuous compaction control (CCC). With an intuitive user interface, the app also creates added value when training new roller operators, as all relevant compaction parameters are visualised in real time on the smartphone.
    Read More
  • Towards sustainable mobility
    April 12, 2012
    Tony Marshall, Director at Arup, looks at ways in which the company encourages sustainable mobility.From policy and systems development through to the design and execution of major infrastructure projects, he reviews Arup's global project experiences and research programmes. Space on roads throughout the modern world is decreasing as the volume of cars and road users increases. How can mobility be safeguarded without compromising quality of life or environmental well-being? As engineers, we have a responsib
    Read More

Highlighted Content