Skip to main content

Variable speed limits to be introduced in Scotland

Motorists using the M90 in Scotland will face the country’s first variable speed limits in three weeks time when a new traffic control system is launched on the road north of the Forth Road Bridge. The intelligent transport system, which goes live on 4 December on the M90 northbound, has been installed as part of construction of the Forth Replacement Crossing, which is due to open in four years time. Speeds will be automatically lowered by traffic sensors under the road surface when they detect congestion,
November 15, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Motorists using the M90 in Scotland will face the country’s first variable speed limits in three weeks time when a new traffic control system is launched on the road north of the Forth Road Bridge.

The intelligent transport system, which goes live on 4 December on the M90 northbound, has been installed as part of construction of the Forth Replacement Crossing, which is due to open in four years time.

Speeds will be automatically lowered by traffic sensors under the road surface when they detect congestion, to smooth traffic flow and reduce delays.

The system will also operate on the M90 southbound and on the M9, south of the Forth Road Bridge, from early next year. Similar systems are in use on the M25 around London and M42 near Birmingham.

Transport minister Keith Brown said: “The Forth Replacement Crossing continues to progress on time and on budget and I’m delighted that we can now begin to turn on the ITS systems to help manage and improve traffic flow and provide buses with a dedicated lane.”

Related Content

  • Investment boost for Canada’s weather warning systems
    August 5, 2013
    David Crawford reviews national and regional initiatives to boost Canada’s weather forecasting. Over the next five years Canada’s national weather services are due to benefit from a CAN$248 million injection of funding into the Environment Canada (EC) department to deliver timelier and more accurate weather warnings and forecasts for users including travellers and transport operators. The scheme, set out in the country’s 2013 Economic Action Plan, is to revitalise the services with new investments in federa
  • London’s first segregated cycle superhighway planned
    July 9, 2014
    Thousands of cyclists will no longer have to use the Vauxhall gyratory, one of the most threatening in London, under plans published today for central London’s first segregated cycle superhighway. A continuous two-way and separated east-west track will be built from Kennington Oval to Pimlico, through the gyratory and across Vauxhall Bridge, breaking one of the most significant barriers to cycling in the capital. There will also be substantially more space for pedestrians, with around one square kil
  • Radar reinforces detection efficiency
    March 16, 2016
    Radar can have distinct advantages in some transport-related situations as Colin Sowman found out during a visit to Navtech Radar. Despite tremendous advances in machine vision techniques, the accuracy and reliability of camera-based detection systems suffer during periods of poor visibility where other technologies may offer an alternative. Radar is one such technology. It too has seen significant development in recent years and according to Navtech Radar, the technology can often fulfil detection and moni
  • Peachtree Corners left-turn project reduces highway crashes
    January 2, 2024
    Applied Information & Wavetronix solution alerts drivers in Georgia mobility testbed