Overview
The A46 links the East and West Midlands, connecting Coventry and Warwickshire to the motorway network but traffic congestion to the east of Coventry was causing longer journey times, more queues and increased frustration for road users. Work on the Binley Roundabout Scheme led by Highways England (National Highways), began in March 2020, and centre on the addition of flyover at Binley to separate A46 traffic from local traffic.
The Challenge
The £61.4m (Binley only) upgrade was performed to “unlock congestion, improve journey reliability and support economic growth across the West Midlands.”
With four approaches to the roundabout this significant project required a temporary traffic management system that could ensure both road user and pedestrian safety while allowing the construction of the flyover to progress as seamlessly as possible. The project involved the widening of the approaches to the roundabout which had the potential to cause problems with using existing road loops.
The main contractor on the site, Osborne, appointed H W Martin (Traffic Management) Ltd who in turn contacted SRL to provide to deliver a temporary traffic management solution that could meet the project’s specific requirements.
The Solution
Having worked together on many projects, the team at H W Martin knew the best solution for this project was SRL’s Urban64® Intelligent Temporary System because it could closely most replicate the permanent system that had been in place
Linked using MOVA technology, Urban64 offers significant benefits over traditional ‘poles and barrels’ solutions. For example, it is installed using ELV (extra low voltage) overhead cabling, which is faster and simpler to install. It’s flexible too, facilitating key adjustments to system layout including the re-routing of pedestrian areas through the centre of the roundabout which meant pedestrians could move safely and freely around the works being undertaken.
The Urban64® system now utilises state of the art multi lane radar technology from smartmicro® to provide virtual MOVA loops which eliminates the need to physically install or maintain MOVA loops in the carriageway. As each approach to the Binley roundabout was widened, SRL was able to relocate virtual loops quickly and easily.
Conscious of the need to minimise the amount of equipment on site while ensuring traffic flowed as efficiently as possible, SRL collaborated with Smart Video & Sensing Ltd (‘SVS’) to design a bespoke radar detection solution that combines the benefits of the Urban64 system with the superior detection offered by their smartmicro®UMRR-11 Type 45 radar.
The radar, which is mounted on a primary signal pole, can see up to 200 metres with 97% accuracy, delivering superior detection compared to other products on the market. In addition, its highly advanced sensor technology enables it to differentiate between objects even in areas where many vehicles are closely spaced: for example, in stop-and-go traffic at busy intersections – as was the case at the Binley roundabout.
The SVS smartmicro UMRR-11 solution also offered remote connectivity and visual verification, which enabled SRL and H W Martin to adapt detection protocols as the project progressed and the site layout changed.
Together SRL’s Urban64 and the SVS smartmicro UMRR-11 solution have made the signal installation and traffic management at the Binley roundabout as smooth and efficient as possible, keeping pedestrians safe, road users moving and site workers able to get on with the construction of the flyover.
“Using SRL’s Urban64 system has really impacted on project efficiency, enabling us to keep working around the roundabout and keep traffic flowing. In fact, the ability of Urban64 to respond to congestion in real time meant less queuing traffic than we had using permanent signals. But perhaps the biggest benefit for us is the flexibility to reconfigure the system quickly and easily as the project progresses and traffic management requirements change. I would definitely consider the Urban64 system for similar projects in future.”
Mark Sludds Temporary Traffic Management EngineerThe Result
This challenging but ultimately successful project is testament to the hard-work, communication and technical expertise of the teams at SRL and SVS.
The solution that resulted set the standard for the smart management of traffic during major construction works for many years to come.
Peter Eccleson, Managing Director at SVS Ltd said:
“It has been an exciting and rewarding collaboration with SRL in developing a solution which works for them and demonstrates the benefits of our radar and video combination in the temporary traffic signals market.”
The team at H W Martin were impressed with the impact on site as it brought benefits to the project including:
- Ease and speed of installation (Urban64 uses Extra Low Voltage overhead cabling)
- Superior vehicle and congestion detection
- Efficient traffic management facilitated
- Reduced infrastructure on site (1 SVS radar does the work of 4 traditional traffic cameras)
- Improved safety of pedestrians and road users
- Flexibility to change system layout throughout the project.
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