Skip to main content

Technology trial a first for roads scheme

A US$124.8 million (£88.4 million) project to upgrade access to one of the UK’s busiest ports is trialling the use of technology to improve the monitoring of highway equipment located along the road, such as street lighting and drainage, to aid future maintenance. Contractors working on the A160 Port of Immingham improvement scheme are using the RedBite asset tool, developed by a Cambridge-based company, to tag Highways England owned assets. RedBite is a spin-out from the University of Cambridge and a m
April 7, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
A US$124.8 million (£88.4 million) project to upgrade access to one of the UK’s busiest ports is trialling the use of technology to improve the monitoring of highway equipment located along the road, such as street lighting and drainage, to aid future maintenance.

Contractors working on the A160 Port of Immingham improvement scheme are using the RedBite asset tool, developed by a Cambridge-based company, to tag 8101 Highways England owned assets. RedBite is a spin-out from the University of Cambridge and a member of the HyperCat Consortium. The technology uses radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, Quick Response (QR) Codes and GPS tags.

Once the product is tagged, the data is securely transmitted to a webpage where all data relating to that piece of equipment or asset is recorded for future use.

This is said to be the first time the technology has been used on a road project.  Items which have been tagged so far along the A160 include lighting columns, signs, pavements, culverts and gullies.

The Port of Immingham is the UK’s largest port by tonnage and handles up to 55 million tonnes of goods every year, including nearly 20 million tonnes of oil and 10 million tonnes of coal.

The scheme will see a three-mile section of the A160 between the A180 and the Port of Immingham upgraded to a dual carriageway along its entire length.

Once completed, traffic congestion should be reduced, journey times become more reliable, and safety improved for road users and the local community. There will also be improved access to the Port of Immingham and the surrounding area.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • ITS homes in on cycling safety
    April 9, 2014
    A new generation of ITS equipment is helping road authorities get to grips with cycle safety – and not a moment too soon as Colin Sowman discovers. Cyclists - remember them? Apparently not. At least not according to the OECD 2013 report Cycling, Health and Safety which contains the statement: ‘Cyclists are often forgotten in the design of the road traffic system’. Looking through the statistics that exist (each country appears to compile them differently) it is not difficult to see how such a conclusion cou
  • Vehicle to improve safety and reduce disruption on motorways
    May 26, 2016
    Inspired by the aviation industry, a new vehicle developed by Highways England to help replace overhead signs is set to reduce the duration of roadworks. The vehicle is based on the design of an aircraft catering vehicle, which loads refreshments into aeroplanes using a hydraulic scissor lift. Traditionally, signs are taken down and installed using a flat-bed truck, crane and cherry picker, taking up to 40 minutes. However the new Maintenance Assistance Vehicle (MAV) can do this in around 20 to 25 min
  • Nothing smart about ‘deadly’ lay-bys on all-lane running motorways, says AA
    September 27, 2016
    Eight out of 10 UK drivers think that removal of hard-shoulders on smart motorways has made motorways more dangerous than four years ago, according to an AA-Populus poll of 20,845 drivers. Some drivers even refer to the lay-bys on these motorways as ‘death zones’.
  • Pedestrian and cycle counters installed across Aberdeen
    October 25, 2016
    Pedestrian and cycle counters have been installed around Aberdeen, Scotland to accurately monitor numbers of people using pavements and cycleways. The equipment, from UK company Traffic Technology, includes 13 Eco Multi counters which have been installed beside strategic pavements, which include off-road paths, dual-use pavements and segregated routes and are on paths which connect residential areas to schools, employment areas, parks and riversides. Some of the counters, which distinguish between ped