Signs of future times from Costain and Swarco

Contractor Costain and Austrian manufacturer Swarco have collaborated to create and install the UK’s next generation of digital road message signs.
February 13, 2020 Read time: 1 min

The two companies developed the sign technology for Highways England, the government road asset agency, with Costain delivering the roadside controller and Swarco delivering the signs. According to Costain, the next generation of signs is getting messages to road users more quickly which, in turn, improves road safety and the journey experience for travellers.

The new signs use high-resolution colour optical technology components that enable clearer messages and graphics to be displayed in all weather conditions.

Less material including cabling is used in the manufacturing process which means maintenance requirements are reduced as well as the time engineers spend on roadside duties.

The signs can also display live video images of congestion on the road ahead. This video information could be provided to road users in the future, according to Ian Parker, managing director for transportation at Costain.

Highway & Network Management

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • IRF World Congress: Safety through technology
    October 17, 2024
    For too long there has been a focus on physical infrastructure itself when it comes to sustainability. Now we understand the interdependence of infrastructure, government agencies and policies, a nation’s health, access to education and much more. David Arminas reports from Istanbul, Turkiye.
    Read More
  • A new road maintenance approach developed jointly can improve efficiency
    April 11, 2013
    Innovative road maintenance solutions in Austria. A sophisticated system for managing maintenance tasks has been developed in Austria to meet the specific needs of a highway concession package. Bonaventura Straßenerhaltungs-GmbH is a 100%-owned business of the French company Egis Road Operation S.A., and was founded to provide the road maintenance services of the first Austrian PPP infrastructure project "Ypsilon"(PPP-Ostregion, Paket 1) granted by ASFINAG. The concessionaire won a 30-year contract in 2006
    Read More
  • Developments in site survey solutions
    February 9, 2012
    Trimble is widening its portfolio of Connected Site survey solutions for the field and office. These upgraded tools allow surveyors to collect, share and deliver data faster to improve accuracy, efficiency and productivity.
    Read More
  • Securing safer transportation infrastructure through non-destructive technology
    June 16, 2014
    Kevin Vine reports on the use of non-destructive testing for structural analysis of bridges Seven years ago, the overpass collapse in Laval, Québec that led to the death of five people brought to light severe issues with the state of the country’s bridges and transportation infrastructure. More recently, a crack in the Champlain Bridge to Montreal that forced over 160,000 commuters to find alternate routes to work reaffirmed a need for greater emphasis on early detection before a crisis occurs.
    Read More

Highlighted Content