Subject - More smart traffic technology for region

Posted : (Thursday 29th May 2008 ) By - Jane (Registered User) Motorways in Cheshire and Greater Manchester are getting eight more 'ramp metering' systems to improve traffic flows and reduce congestion around busy junctions.

Testing on the traffic control systems sited at motorway junctions along on-slips, began earlier this month but today the Highways Agency confirmed the location of the sites which are at:

* M6 Junction 16 (Barthomley) northbound
* M6 Junction 17 (Sandbach) northbound and southbound
* M6 Junction 19 (Knutsford) northbound and southbound
* M6 Junction 20 (Lymm) northbound
* M56 Junction 4 (Benchill) eastbound
* M62 Junction 19 (Birch) westbound

It is hoped that the lights will go 'live' permanently next month (June) following several weeks of calibration and testing. Generally, the lights will only operate around peak periods when the main motorway carriageway is particularly busy.

The eight new systems complement 12 others in the North West already installed in two earlier phases over the last two years.

The system is designed to better regulate traffic joining the motorway by allowing vehicles out in batches.

Congestion often occurs near junctions where vehicles attempt to join from the slip road when there is already heavy traffic on the motorway. By releasing just a few vehicles at a time the lights prevent cars from bunching together and forming a bottleneck that delays everyone.

Sensors in the road monitor the congestion and adjust the timing of the lights. Traffic on the slip road is also monitored to minimise the possibility of queues forming on the local road network.

The system has been successfully used on the M60, M62 and M6 in other parts of the North West where it has been shown to reduce congestion and improve journey times by up to nine per cent. It is also in operation in the North East, Midlands and South West as well as widely used internationally in places like the United States, France and the Netherlands.

Highways Agency Project Manager Mark Mosley said, "This system is one of the innovative techniques being introduced by the Highways Agency to deal with congestion and journey time reliability by making the best use of our existing capacity. The system will allow traffic to join the motorway more smoothly and safely.