Development of traffic control and management systems in tunnels in Poland
The continuous increase in traffic volume combined with the growing demand for mobility, especially in cities, increases the need for tunnels. They are critical facilities in the whole transport system of a city and, in order to protect the users and the project as a whole, must meet particularly high requirements in terms of accessibility and safety.
According to Polish and European standards, tunnels longer than 400m should be equipped with systems such as:
- a superior Tunnel Management System (TCS) of SCADA class
- fire detection and alarm system
- data transmission system, video surveillance, video detection, ANPR
- ventilation, sound system, alarm points
- basic and emergency power supply
- basic, emergency and evacuation lighting
- measurement of wind direction and strength and environmental measurements
- radio communication system
- traffic management elements such as: VMS variable message signs, LCS portal signs, traffic lights, barriers, traffic measurement stations, meteorological stations
- streetcar traffic protection system (applies to streetcar and railroad tunnels)
For several years Yunex Traffic has been equipping the biggest Polish tunnels in advanced ITS systems ensuring maximum safety and reliability.
The beginnings of ITS systems in tunnels
The first project in the area of traffic control in tunnels was in 2003-2004 and the contract for the Wisłostrada Tunnel Management System in Warsaw. The Wisłostrada Tunnel is the main north-south traffic axis in Warsaw, currently used by over 110 thousand vehicles daily. We conduct control activities there depending on traffic conditions, maintenance works and on the occasion of random events and mass events.
Szymon Majchrzak, Project Manager of ITS Yunex Sp. z o.o.
In the years 2007-2008, work began on the implementation of a traffic management system in the only tunnel in Poland dedicated exclusively to streetcar traffic and with a length of 1420 m called Kraków Fast Tram (KST). Since 2010. Yunex Traffic is also responsible for traffic management in St. Raphael Kalinowski road tunnel under Cracow Central Railway Station. Moreover, the company performs service and maintenance of systems in both Cracovian tunnels (road and streetcar).
In 2016-2019, we also carried out activities in the area of service and maintenance in the road tunnel under the “Martwa Wisla” in Gdańsk, which is almost 1.5 km long.
A year later, as part of the development of the ITS system in Warsaw, traffic control was also started under the tunnel at the Zesłańców Syberyjskich traffic circle, near the West Railway Station in Warsaw. From 2019, deliveries related to the construction of traffic control systems for 4 tunnels (3 road tunnels and one tramway tunnel) as part of the Lagiewnicka Route are being implemented.
Advanced technology
All tunnels managed by Yunex Traffic in Poland are managed in ROute+ technology. This is modern solution for large and scaled systems, supporting up to 2000 distributed systems, with built-in security standard and configuration for different operating systems. Currently, traffic in the tunnels in Warsaw is managed using this technology.
The ROute+ system is a software that allows observing, recording, processing, controlling, alarming, reporting tunnel events, but also supports optimization, service and maintenance processes. This greatly facilitates tunnel management, guaranteeing correct and safe operation.
Slawomir Matla, engineering manager of ITS Yunex Sp. z o.o.