Skip to main content

New ice warning system aids safety on Swedish highways

A new road sensor system is set to offer more accurate warnings for slippery surfaces. The TrackIce system, developed by Mowic, is to be installed by road maintenance contractor Peab along a 30 kilometre stretch of highway E4 between Stora Essingen and Södertälje in Sweden. According to Mowic, the TrackIce system is quick to install without the need for cables, enabling it to be installed in remote areas where no power is available. The TrackIce central unit can also handle information from other sensors su
February 5, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
A new road sensor system is set to offer more accurate warnings for slippery surfaces.

The TrackIce system, developed by 7134 Mowic, is to be installed by road maintenance contractor Peab along a 30 kilometre stretch of highway E4 between Stora Essingen and Södertälje in Sweden.

According to Mowic, the TrackIce system is quick to install without the need for cables, enabling it to be installed in remote areas where no power is available. The TrackIce central unit can also handle information from other sensors such as wind sensors and snow depth sensors. The weather data from the TrackIce system is then analysed and transmitted to the customer’s weather forecasting system, such as MeteoGroup´s Roadcast service which is used by many contractors.

“As the TrackIce equipment requires no power or data cables we were able to install the sensors exactly where we wanted to. The installation is easy and quick, we just drill a small hole for each sensor, ensures it is aligned with the road surface and mold it into place”, says Per Hallberg, operations manager at Peab district Western Södertörn.
TrackIce is currently in operation at several places in the Stockholm area, including Södertälje municipality where the system is placed in a sensitive location were icing occurs early.

“In Södertälje we have a known road section very prone to accidents. This is where we placed our TrackIce sensor. When the road surface is wet and we get a warning from the system, we know that in about two hours’ time, it is very likely there will be icy roads in the entire region. We will then begin anti-icing activities by spreading salt to prevent black ice, says Jan Johansson, Operations planning manager in Södertälje.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Cold efficiency
    July 24, 2012
    Tools to support operational decisions in winter maintenance can remove subjectivity and increase efficiency; Vaisala's Danny Johns talks about latest developments Even the presence of trees at the roadside can have an effect on temperature An effective Road Weather Information System (RWIS) network can save a local road authority or jurisdiction tens of thousands of dollars or Euros'-worth of labour and consumables in a single night. Get those winter maintenance operations right over just three or four nig
  • Righter shade of pale
    July 24, 2012
    Jon Tarleton, Quixote Transportation Technologies, Inc., talks about developments in mobile weather information gathering Quixote Transportation Technologies, Inc. (QTT) is promoting the greater use of mobile technologies to provide infill between fixed Road Weather Information System (RWIS) infrastructure. It is, the company says, a means of reducing the expense of providing comprehensive, network-wide coverage, particularly in geographic locations where the sheer number of centreline miles causes cost to
  • Pioneering sensors collect weather data from moving vehicles
    January 20, 2012
    ITS International contributing editor David Crawford foresees the vehicle as 'sentinel being'
  • The ice man cometh
    August 7, 2018
    Extreme meteorological events have captured global headlines in recent years. Adam Hill talks to Vaisala’s Mark DeVries about what that means for transportation companies trying to keep roads clear. Extreme meteorological events have captured global headlines in recent years. Adam Hill talks to Vaisala’s Mark DeVries about what that means for transportation companies trying to keep roads clear