Intelligent road signage for better travel information

On busy trunk roads, such as the M4 motorway, providing drivers with accurate, up-to-date information about the road condition, weather, speed restrictions or road works is an essential way to enhance safety and improve traffic flows.

A clearer message
The latest generation variable message sign, the MS4 – developed by Jarvis subsidiary Techspan Systems – is a high-resolution, dual-colour LED matrix sign, capable of displaying both text and pictograms, indicating potential dangers or restrictions on the road ahead.

Using two colours enhances the impact of the signs. For example, a red bar can be used to highlight a lane closure or a red triangle to indicate a hazard. The technology used by Techspan is based on pan-European symbols, helping drivers from the continent to recognise the information they are being given and removing language barriers.

Enhancing driver information across Wales
The Welsh Assembly Government initially placed an order for 45 MS4 signs with Techspan in 2002 and, more recently, ordered six more. The signs – specially designed, manufactured, installed and commissioned by Techspan – form part of a major road improvement scheme in Wales. The majority of the large signs (38) have been installed along the M4 between junctions 25 and 36, and another 12 are on major roads adjoining the motorway or in other parts of Wales.

The final sign has been installed at a Highways Agency site in Wales. The role of this sign is to help the development team to create and test the pictograms they will be using, as well as the text – in English and Welsh – which will appear on the signs.

Communication is the key
“We wanted the ability to communicate with drivers: let them know what the traffic status was as efficiently and clearly as possible,” says John Charlton, Intelligent Transport System Officer for the Welsh Assembly Government.

“As we host the Millennium Stadium we also attract sports fans from all over England as well as Wales. We will be able to separate rival fans by asking one team’s supporters to come off the M4 at one junction and the others at the next. The new signs will be particularly useful at Christmas when we can direct motorists to park and ride sites,” he adds.

Easy to maintain
A clear advantage of the new MS4 signs is the ease with which they can be maintained and any damage repaired. If a module fails or is damaged it can be quickly repaired or replaced on site with no traffic disruption. An engineer simply climbs the ladder by the side of the road to the sign’s secure and safe gantry, and repairs or replaces the failed module without affecting any other parts of the sign.

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• Techspan website.
  
  Factfile
  
• Signs report status and any fault conditions using remote intelligent diagnostics, enabling rapid maintenance
• Combining pictograms and text messaging means the new MS4 signs meet European standards for clear, non language-dependent communication
• LED (light emitting diode) technology ensures proven reliability, high visibility, long service life and power efficiency
• Installation project in Wales completed in just over one month, in Autumn 2003