The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai has announced plans for a $160 million project to expand its smart traffic systems. The project entails upgrading and expanding the smart traffic systems in Dubai by providing an integrated infrastructure and traffic management system to reduce traffic bottlenecks and accidents, improve the safety for road users, and ease personal mobility.
Mattar Al Tayer, director general and chairman of the board of executive directors, RTA, said: “This project is one of the key deliverables of RTA’s Innovation Lab, Masar 2030. It encompasses the design and construction of an integrated infrastructure for Dubai smart traffic systems, and the construction of a new traffic control centre at Al Barsha. It envisages increasing the smart system coverage of Dubai roads from the present 11% to 60%.”
“The project will also cut the time of detecting accidents and congestion build up and, accordingly, accelerate response times. It will also provide instant traffic information to the public about road networks via new variable messaging signs and smart apps. It will further step up the management of traffic movement at major events such as Expo 2020,” he added.
The project will be competed in the following five stages: the first stage will cover traffic monitoring and data capturing systems such as cameras, vehicle detection devices, bluetooth devices and weather sensors. The second stage will see installation of 112 sign boards to provide instant, dynamic messages to drivers about road conditions, and the third stage will cover the infrastructure such as civil works, fibre optic lines, and electricity distribution networks. The scope of these works involves the extension of lines spanning over 400 km. The fourth stage will cover the advanced central traffic system to support decision-making, ensure an automatic response, and enable the integration with devices at sites as well as other traffic centres and operations systems. The fifth stage will involve the construction of the traffic control centre at Al Barsha South to accommodate the projected increase in the current and future smart traffic systems.
