360° Radar for Tunnels

INTELLIGENT TRANSPORT SYSTEMS

360° Radar for Tunnels

Radar-based Automatic Incident Detection

Navtech's radar-based AID for tunnels works in challenging lighting conditions, including at portals where accidents are more likely to happen.

Portal-to-portal, and beyond

Works when you need it most

Tunnels are essential for transport but also high-risk environments where incidents, such as collisions, can escalate rapidly. The risk of injury or fatality from a vehicle accident is four times higher in freeway tunnels than on open roads (Ma et al., 2009).

Research shows that the highest collision rates occur in the tunnel portal area, followed by the entrance area, while the interior zone has significantly fewer collisions (Safety of Road Tunnels, Austrian Road Safety Board). The portal area is defined as 10m before and after the portal, and the entrance area as 10m to 150m inside the tunnel.

Video and light-based monitoring technologies often struggle with variable lighting and weather at portals. However, Navtech’s radar-based automatic incident detection system, ClearWay, continues to operate effectively when needed most. Radar remains unaffected by reflections from walls and road surfaces, shadows, headlight glare, high-contrast lighting, or poor weather.

Suitable for tunnels from under 1 km to over 25 km, ClearWay integrates with SCADA, VMS, and camera systems. It provides alerts within seconds and automatically directs PTZ cameras for visual context, improving operator efficiency and response times.

An Alternative AID Technology

360° radar AID

360° radar cover both inside and outside the portal detecting stopped, slow and queuing vehicles, wrong-way drivers, pedestrians, debris and more. Our long-range radars monitor entire tunnels using fewer sensors than alternative AID technologies.

Works in all tunnel lighting conditions

Radar is completely unaffected by the challenging conditions experienced in a road tunnel such as high contrast lighting at portals, reflections from walls, the road surface and headlight glare.

Automatic camera control

Navtech’s ClearWay solution instantly detects incidents in tunnels using radar and can automatically direct PTZ cameras to the incident location, for visual context.

Maintenance free radar for 10+ years

Our radars continue to work even when covered in dust and dirt, and are service free for 10+ years, meaning no cleaning, hardware maintenance costs.

Adds value to your existing systems

Integrates with tunnel cameras, SCADA and Video Management Systems. By combining radar’s reliable detection in all lighting conditions with your cameras’ high-resolution visuals, you’ll achieve the highest levels of incident detection performance.

Operator effectiveness

Navtech’s AID solution saves operators valuable time by removing the need to monitor multiple camera feeds. The system detects an incident within seconds. High detection and low false alarm rates maintain operator trust.

Technical Specifications

CTS175 Operating at 76-77 GHz

CTS175 Datasheet

The CTS175 radar is used for tunnel projects in Europe and Australia.

Download the datasheet

Maintenance-free hardware

Meaning no cleaning, calibration, or maintenance costs

Tunnel demos

Request a demonstration our AID technology in your tunnel.

Partner network

We have a network of technology partners in Europe to provide in country support.

Learn more in our tunnel brochure:

System architecture diagram
Project references
System overview

Download here

FAQs

Operation in harsh tunnel conditions

Radar remains unaffected by reflections from walls and road surfaces, shadows, headlight glare, high-contrast lighting, or poor weather. It means the ClearWay radar system can reliably detect in all tunnel lighting conditions throughout the tunnel, at portals and beyond. Our radar continue to work when covered in dust and dirt, meaning no cleaning is required to maintain system performance. In the event of a tunnel fire, they will detect through hot smoke, cold smoke, hot gases and fire.

Hardware and software

Navtech's 360° radar rotate at 4Hz, scanning out to their full range four times a second. Using advanced radar analytics, the 360° radar scans are processed in real time to identify and track both stationary and moving objects. Rules-based software automates incident detection and keeps false alarms to a minimum. Following radar installation, the system can be commissioned and optimised remotely.

Ingress protection

Our radar have an IP67 rating and are rigorously tested at our production facility before they are released.

Integration

With our in-house software team on hand, we can easily integrate with your existing tunnel SCADA, VMS and camera systems.

Radar spacing

Typical radar spacing in a tunnel is up to 300m for vehicle detection. Spacing is dependent on the applications required, tunnel characteristics and system performance specifications. We deliver to guaranteed detection, false alarm and time-to-detect rates.

Radar characteristics

CTS175

Radius

Full range (diameter)

Range resolution

Measurement rate

Field of view

Azimuth sampling

Radar frequency

175m

350m

17.5cm