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ITS Leaders unite to launch road maintenance safety first

Two leading players in the intelligent transport system (ITS) industry have joined forces to create the first temporary road maintenance safety solutions to combine industry-leading modular electronic perimeters and variable message signs (VMS), providing a cost-efficient method of improving the safety of both road workers and road users.

Leading temporary ITS solutions provider, Mobile Visual Information Systems Ltd (MVIS), in partnership with the creator of the Intellicone temporary work zone safety system, Highway Resource Solutions Ltd (HRS), launched multiple solutions at an event facilitated by the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) at Bruntingthorpe Airfield yesterday (16^th September 2014).

The innovations launched yesterday included the Safelane automated traffic management system and the Multisafe Smart VMS.

The Multisafe Smart VMS combines Intellicone contactless sensor technology with MVIS’ range of VMS. Intellicone’s Sentry sensor can be positioned to detect vehicles or personnel and to activate wirelessly the appropriate high visibility VMS message. The resulting solution can be used for over-height vehicle detection, dynamic work exit messaging and to detect speeding vehicles.

The works exit system was developed in close cooperation with Costain and TRL. The solution is currently undergoing trials during the installation of the smart motorway scheme between junctions 28 and 31 of the M1. The exit system detects when works traffic is vacating the work zone, triggering a high impact message on an Intellicone Sentry VMS from the Multisafe Smart VMS product group to alert oncoming road users.

The Safelane automated traffic management system combines Intellicone products with MVIS’ Multisafe Smart VMS to facilitate safer work zone traffic management by fewer personnel. Intellicone cone barriers and contactless sensors, paired with CCTV, enable Multisafe Smart VMS to help undertake work zone protection, as such avoiding the need to deploy high numbers of operatives in these dangerous areas. Any worksite breaches instantly alert the remaining traffic management operatives and workforce, whilst capturing live footage of errant vehicles. The Safelane system is highly modular, can be applied to most road closures and is expected to help achieve major cost savings for the industry.

Said MVIS managing director, Pat Musgrave: “The temporary MVIS/Intellicone road maintenance worker protection solutions have the capacity not only to improve worker safety but to do so cost-effectively.”

Added HRS director, Roger Poeth: “HRS and MVIS share a commitment to the development and application of technologically advanced ITS products and we look forward to unveiling further applications of the new safety solution later in the year.”

The MVIS/Intellicone corporate partnership relates to distribution as well as product development, and MVIS is now Intellicone’s exclusive hire partner.