Overview
Working in partnership with SWARCO and Renfrewshire Council, SRL were pleased to provide our Urban64® solution whilst vital signal works and refurbishments were made to permanent signals on Junction 25a of the M8, the main motorway connecting Glasgow to Edinburgh which regularly experiences high volumes of traffic due to the nearby Braehead retail outlet, shopping centre, arena and entertainment venues.
The Challenge
Due to the complexity of the layout and volume of traffic on site, Renfrewshire Council were keen to implement a system which could utilise a ‘Walk-with-Traffic’ system. This would allow fewer stages to take place whilst the system cycles through it’s phases. The site itself would go on to feature 21 signals with Vehicle Actuated detectors. They were keen to reduce cycles and thus, improve the travel times to help reduce congestion and delays. As a result, SRL’s Urban64® was selected as the ideal solution to help provide a seamless experience for both motorists and pedestrians.
The Solution
Initially, our Urban64 team explained the system and its benefits – ultimately, this would be a more efficient solution as we were able to implement walk-with-traffic functionality seamlessly across the signals in a reduced amount of phases.
Once selected, our technical and design team worked with Renfrewshire Council to create a bespoke system which could maximise the efficient operation of the junction whilst enabling refurbishment works and access around the site.
Installation and removal took just one night under lane closures, with minimal disruption to traffic.
The Power of ‘Walk-with-Traffic’
One notable benefit of incorporating walk-with-traffic into the Urban64 site is the significant reduction in pedestrian crossing time. In the case of the M8 Junction 25a site, crossing the junction typically takes an average of two minutes due to the walk-with-traffic capability as pedestrians can cross while certain vehicular movements take place elsewhere on the junction.
Without this feature, pedestrians would have to wait to cross each specific section of the junction. As Junction 25a has four crossing points, this could take as much as eight minutes to cross. The inclusion of walk-with-traffic not only saves time but also enhances pedestrian safety and reduces frustration.
Why Choose Urban64® Over Portable Signals?
Portable signals cannot provide the walk-with-traffic feature that Urban64 offers. They are limited in their capacity to accommodate multiple lanes and lack are unable to incorporate filter or indicative arrows. Furthermore, utilising portable systems in this instance would require an additional stage where all traffic must stop to allow pedestrians to cross. This limitation would lead to longer delays, increased emissions, and heightened traffic congestion.
“In terms of traffic management, Urban64 is a real game changer, the main selling points for this project was firstly the ability to mimic the operation of the junction on an almost like for like basis, secondly, the ability to retain the facility of our right turn/left turn arrows on and off the motorway, and thirdly, the always present issue with lane closures being removed on this particular project was a massive plus for us, this allowed us to keep traffic flowing freely through the junction whilst dealing with the busy M8 on/off slip road.
I would like to thank everyone involved at SRL, especially Gordon Stitt who made the whole experience run smoothly from start to finish, Renfrewshire Council will be looking to use U64 again further down the road when the opportunity arises.”
Scott Hannah Traffic Signals TechnicianThe Result
SRL’s Urban64 can act as a tremendous solution for short-term projects.
Urban64 can maintain the capacity of junctions, regardless of scale or complexity and provide safety benefits due to its greater height perception as it applies duplicate or high-level signal heads for multi-lane or high-speed approaches. It also has the ability to feature directional, filter or indicative arrows to keep traffic moving all along the site and can be equipped with MOVA, VA or UTC control allowing you to optimise traffic flows during peak periods.
In today’s fast-paced urban environments, efficient traffic management systems are vital to ensure smooth traffic flow and enhance road safety. SRL Traffic Systems Urban64® is proving once again to be a game-changer in the industry, providing advanced solutions to tackle urban traffic challenges.
Business Development Manager, Gordon Stitt, commented:
“The use of Urban64 on the M8, Junction 25a/Braehead has proved to be the perfect traffic management solution to allow critical works to be undertaken at a very traffic-sensitive location. The installation and commissioning process was carried out seamlessly and the junction efficiency was continually optimised via detection to manage all volumes of traffic throughout the duration of the project.
It is great when a client comes to you with a problem to solve and you deliver results beyond their expectations.”
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