Hardshoulder monitoring system for active traffic management

Active Traffic Management (ATM) is a project being undertaken by the Highways Agency (HA) that aims to bring together many traffic management elements that are currently used in isolation in order to maximise the benefits from each and make best use of existing roadspace. It is being implemented as a pilot scheme on part of the M42 motorway. One mode of operation (termed Operational Regime) that is to be trialled is the controlled use of the hardshoulder as an additional running lane for incident management and during periods of heavy congestion. In order to ensure safety during this operational regime, ATM will include: emergency refuge areas (ERAs) for broken down vehicles at approximately 500m intervals; advanced motorway indicators and message signs on gantries at approximately 500m intervals to provide clear instructions to drivers; mandatory maximum speed of 50mph enforced on all lanes; denser spacing of loop sensors for monitoring traffic (100m spacing is planned, compared to the nominal 500m currently used in the MIDAS motorway incident detection system). Details of the ATM operational regime remain to be finalised by the Highways Agency. In order to utilise the hardshoulder as a running lane it is necessary to have a monitoring system capable of detecting obstructions and incidents on the hardshoulder. This paper describes work being undertaken on behalf of the Highways Agency, to develop a prototype hardshoulder monitoring system.