Skip to main content

Melbourne installs smart road technology

Work is now underway on installing the latest electronic freeway management technology along Melbourne’s West Gate Freeway in Victoria, Australia, with the entire project to be completed by the middle of next year. Installation of the freeway management system along more of Melbourne’s road network will be fully integrated with the one already in use on the M1 east of Williamstown Road as well as that proposed for the M80 Ring Road, according to Victorian Roads (VicRoads) minister Terry Mulder. “Indeed, ou
June 18, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
Work is now underway on installing the latest electronic freeway management technology along Melbourne’s West Gate Freeway in Victoria, Australia, with the entire project to be completed by the middle of next year.

Installation of the freeway management system along more of Melbourne’s road network will be fully integrated with the one already in use on the M1 east of Williamstown Road as well as that proposed for the M80 Ring Road, according to Victorian Roads (4728 VicRoads) minister Terry Mulder.  “Indeed, our ultimate aim is to deliver safer, faster and less congested driving conditions along all of the City’s major routes, he said.
 
The project includes new signs to inform drivers which lanes they should use and alert them to temporary speed limit changes, as well as closed circuit television and upgrading of the supporting communication networks and central control systems.
 
Federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Anthony Albanese said once operational, the technology will give VicRoads the tools they need to better manage traffic flows and respond quickly to accidents and breakdowns.
 
“For the 180,000 motorists and truck drivers who use this vital part of the City’s road network every day, the retrofitting of this technology will mean faster, safer and less frustrating driving conditions,” Mr Albanese said.
 
“Indeed if applied nationwide, electronic freeway management systems have the potential to greatly reduce congestion and save Australian families and businesses more than US$474 million a year.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • AV technology ‘could reduce congestion’, says Australian minister
    February 26, 2019
    Congestion costs would drop by more than a quarter if automated vehicles (AVs) account for 30% of kilometres travelled, says Alan Tudge, Australia’s minister for cites urban infrastructure and population. Speaking at the Australia-New Zealand Cities Symposium in Sydney, Tudge revealed findings from the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics. “They estimate it would drop from $37 billion of avoidable congestion to $27 billion,” Tudge says. A 30km freeway journey in Melbourne has increas
  • McCann participates in M1 smart motorway scheme
    July 16, 2018
    Civil and electrical engineering firm McCann will help upgrade a 7.5 mile stretch of a major Midlands route as part of the M1 junction 23a – 25 smart motorway scheme. The project stems from an agreement with Highways England and is intended to reduce congestion and smooth the flow of traffic to improve travel times. Carl Lancaster, operations director for McCann, says: “The finished project will also help to minimise environmental impacts and maximise the capacity of the motorway while ensuring continued
  • Virginia Tech reveals vested interest
    May 9, 2019
    New ITS systems on either side of the Atlantic – such as an intriguing piece of connected clothing – aim to reduce the casualty toll among road maintenance personnel, says Alan Dron t’s not a lot of fun working on road maintenance or road construction worksites. By definition, you’re out in all weathers. You’re not popular with motorists, who blame you for hold-ups. It’s frequently physically arduous. And, worst of all, the sector has an unenviable record of injuries - even fatalities. Often working jus
  • Chicago mayor unveils Vision Zero Action Plan
    June 13, 2017
    Chicago Mayor Emanuel has announced the city’s Vision Zero Chicago Action Plan, a multi-Agency approach which aims to improve traffic safety for all road users. The ultimate goal of Vision Zero is to reduce roadway crashes and eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries in Chicago by 2026. A dozen City departments and agencies have been working for months with traffic safety stakeholders to develop the Vision Zero Action plan, which covers the first three years of the effort and is based on the princi