Intelligent Highways and Tunnels

Handling information to keep the traffic flowing

As people become more prosperous, road traffic continues to grow in nearly every major city in the world, causing longer journey times and growing pollution. Managing these problems is a major challenge for transport authorities, who are increasingly turning to new technology for the answer.

Intelligent highways are being implemented in major cities to address the long-term problems of increased traffic growth. Several technologies are used to address the major traffic management tasks, including traffic planning and control, traffic flow optimization and parking management. These technologies include video systems, loop detectors, dynamic motorway monitoring and control systems, variable message signs, LED-based lane lights and mobile toll and fare pay systems.

One of the most important safety devices in tunnels is the ventilation system. In the more polluted tunnel environment it is difficult to avoid false alarms and therefore a linear fiber system for heat detection is more suitable. A robust and resilient safety system is thus an important factor to keep the system operational whatever events occur.

Bringing it all together

Dynamic traffic monitoring and control systems, emergency roadside call systems, weather data logging, parking guidance and mobile pay systems, intelligent car applications, tunnel systems, ventilation and electronic toll systems - such technologies are ultimately reliant on a communications backbone. Nokia Siemens Networks portfolio supports mobile and fixed communications, voice and data transmission, to integrate all these separate technologies into a complete communications and control system.

Advanced traffic management in South Korea

One of the most advanced intelligent transport systems is in Bucheon city in South Korea, a busy metropolis with a population of about 850,000. Based on a 1 Gbps optical backbone network, the system supports almost 40 applications, providing a host of services including traffic speed tracking to detect incidents, bus arrival time information for passengers, congestion information for drivers via their GPS displays and a roadside warning system near schools.

The Carrier Ethernet system was supplied and installed by Diznet, Nokia Siemens Networks local sales partner in Korea and one of the country’s leading systems integrators.