Highways England has announced new road technologies which will improve Britain’s busiest routes.
The project, overseen by Highways England and implemented by Costain, will see a pilot “connected corridor” of the A2/M2 in Kent equipped with wireless technology to enable trial vehicles to communicate with the surrounding infrastructure. Roadside devices will be able to communicate information to wifi-enabled vehicles relating to roadworks, temporary speed limits, traffic light timings and road conditions.
In addition to streamlining traffic flow, displaying real-time road information on screens inside cars reduces the risk of drivers missing or ignoring signs at the side of the road. Meanwhile data collected during the course of the pilot will be used by the government and Highways England to develop a standardised system for connected vehicles and enable a streamlined rollout of smart highway technology.
The initial development of the A2M2 connected corridor project and the technology behind it was showcased at the TESTFEST conference this week by Highways England and its partners in the project, the Department for Transport, Kent County Council and Transport for London.
The pilot is due to begin in November along a 2.5 mile stretch of road, expanding to 12 miles by spring 2019. If this first stage is successful, it could expand to 34 miles in 2020.
Jo White, Head of the Intelligent Transport Systems Group at Highways England, said: “Connecting vehicles to each other and the road around can improve journeys, make them safer and give drivers reliable, real-time personalised information; it could also help us manage traffic and respond to incidents. We’re supporting the Government’s aim to be world leading in the development of connected and autonomous vehicles (CAV). The TESTFEST is a vital part of that, because it means the initiatives we take forward and the vehicles being developed all align so drivers continue to have safe journeys in the future.”
Connected and smart vehicles are an increasingly prominent factor in road development; and smart highway pilots such as the A2M2 connected corridor fill an essential role, generating data which will help Highways England prepare UK roads for smart and autonomous vehicles.
