Skip to main content

Case study highlights model-practices for highway security

A US$229 million Costain construction site along 14 kilometres of highway has provided material for a model-practice case study issued by UK-based security solution provider VPS Site Security. The Heads of Valleys road follows the southern boundary of the Brecon Beacons National Park in South Wales and is undergoing a major improvements scheme. It presents a significant engineering and environmental challenge to secure safely, including heavy traffic, remote and difficult terrains with numerous access po
October 8, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
A US$229 million 2002 Costain construction site along 14 kilometres of highway has provided material for a model-practice case study issued by UK-based security solution provider VPS Site Security.

The Heads of Valleys road follows the southern boundary of the Brecon Beacons National Park in South Wales and is undergoing a major improvements scheme. It presents a significant engineering and environmental challenge to secure safely, including heavy traffic, remote and difficult terrains with numerous access points, and an ascent of more than 400 metres with limited radio communications.

VPS Site Security has developed a fully integrated protection and monitoring solution using a combination of its mobile CCTV product, the JCB Smart Tower, and human guarding services. The objectives are to protect a number of construction storage sites and materials as well as monitor the traffic flow over the length of the highway being developed.

Deploying an innovative connectivity network, using wireless fluid-mesh communications, 18 JCB Smart Towers are supported by VPS mobile patrols to compliment the security and monitoring service. The design plan has benefited both security and the construction operation, with not only the materials and compounds protected, but also early traffic flow alerts to help meet Costain project schedules and social capital goals.

Costain says the JCB Smart Towers not only keep the compounds and plant secure from theft or vandalism, but also give an early warning of motorists whose vehicles break down along the route and require help. CCTV towers monitored remotely are far safer and less expensive than having more guards patrolling the roads; a solution that combines safety and environmental benefits, with high quality 24/7 security, and a cost-effective result.

Related Content

  • October 12, 2021
    Australia highway to receive smart tech 
    Smart motorway tech will be installed between Pine River and Caloundra Road
  • October 22, 2014
    Smoothing the path to reducing traffic pollution
    David Crawford reviews a new approach to traffic smoothing. A key objective for the Californian city of Bakersfield’s upgraded traffic operations centre (TOC), which opened in June 2014, is to help improve living conditions in a region with one of the worst air quality problems in the US. The TOC is speeding up the smoothing of traffic flows by delivering faster and better-informed traffic signal retiming and synchronisation.
  • May 31, 2013
    Temporary traffic monitoring with Bluetooth and wi-fi
    David Crawford reviews developments in temporary ITS. Widespread take-up of technologies such as Bluetooth and wi-fi are encouraging the emergence of more sophisticated, while still cost effective, ITS responses to the traffic issues posed by temporary road situations such as work zones and special events. Andy Graham of traffic solutions specialists White Willow Consulting says: “A machine-to-machine radio link is far easier and cheaper than reading characters on a plate.” There can be other plusses. Tech
  • July 17, 2012
    Development of cooperative driving applications for work zones
    The German AKTIV project is researching several cooperative driving applications for use in work zones. PTV's Michael Ortgiese details progress. The steep increases in traffic volumes predicted back in the early 1990s have unfortunately been proven to be more than accurate. In Germany, the AKTIV project continues to look into cooperative technologies' potential to reduce the impact of those increased traffic volumes and keep traffic moving despite limitations in infrastructure capacity.