Switzerland expands flexible speed limits

The Swiss department for roads, Astra, is to expand its flexible speed limit systems. It already runs flexible speed limits on the approach to the Baregg tunnel and on the Zurich western bypass, but it is planning to expand this to include whole routes, such as the motorway between Zurich and Bern or Geneva and Lausanne.
June 19, 2013 Read time: 1 min

The Swiss department for roads, Astra, is to expand its flexible speed limit systems. It already runs flexible speed limits on the approach to the Baregg tunnel and on the Zurich western bypass, but it is planning to expand this to include whole routes, such as the motorway between Zurich and Bern or Geneva and Lausanne.

The system uses sensors which measure the volume of traffic, and if the number of cars reaches a certain level, the system can either lower the speed limit itself automatically or alert a traffic control centre.

Astra emphasised that it was important that this took place before the volume of traffic leads to a traffic jam. The capacity of the roads is the greatest when cars travel at a constant speed of 85 km/h. Astra is also using other congestion reduction measures, such as using the hard shoulder as an additional lane, and banning lorries from overtaking in certain areas.

Urban Traffic Control

Related Content

  • Measuring the effectiveness of winter VMS
    August 5, 2013
    A survey into the effectiveness of weather-related variable message signs on a trans-mountain highway has some interesting results, as Alexis Bacelar told ITS Europe. A study in the Massif Central region of France evaluating the usefulness of winter weather warning signs has highlighted the effect of variable message signs on driver behaviour. During the winter of 2009-2010, road operator Massif Central Direction Interdépartementale des Routes (MC DIR) started installing bad weather-specific variable messag
    Read More
  • Austria’s answer to temporary traffic problems
    December 22, 2015
    ASFINAG has developed a mobile traffic monitoring and guidance system through a pre-commercial procurement project. Drivers have become accustomed to roadside and gantry-mounted traffic guidance and control systems along the major roads and main motorway sections. But there are occasions when intense monitoring is required on a temporary basis along motorway sections without traffic guidance and control systems and on federal and national roads too. Examples include the monitoring of the traffic flow during
    Read More
  • Asecap Days 2023: Data drives the best decisions
    December 22, 2023
    Almost all the data being collected by highway operators is going to waste. But if firms collect and analyse these ‘vast lakes of data’ they can investigate threats, monitor management systems and drive up revenues, delegates were told at Asecap Days 2023. Geoff Hadwick reports
    Read More
  • A shift to Active Traffic Management
    May 21, 2012
    Why has Active Traffic Management (ATM) grown in popularity as a mainstream strategy for agencies to maximise the effectiveness and efficiency of roadways, while increasing throughput and safety?
    Read More

Highlighted Content