INTELLIGENT TRANSPORT SYSTEMS

Transmission Gully Motorway

New Zealand

A significant infrastructure project in New Zealand, Te Aranui o Te Rangihaeata, opened in March 2022. The new road provides a safe and reliable route in and out of Wellington, bypassing the existing road that has suffered multiple closures due to landslips

Installed 75 radar

Across 27km of motorway

March 2022 road opened

CHALLENGE

Regular landslips made debris detection a key requirement.

At 27km long, the four-lane motorway, cuts through difficult and steep terrain and is part of the State Highway 1 route. It is the first motorway in New Zealand to be constructed on behalf of the New Zealand Government under a Public Private Partnership (PPP or 3P) contract. In July 2014, the Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency signed the contract with the Wellington Gateway Partnership. Subsequently, design and construction were undertaken by CPB HEB Joint Venture, and Ventia now operate and maintain the motorway, on behalf of the Partnership.

Prior to the road’s opening, the only option for drivers was a coastal road that was prone to landslips. Due to this, a key requirement for ITS technology on the road was effective debris detection. The project requirements also included automatic incident detection capabilities. Furthermore, there was a need for accurate count and classification data and ramp monitoring to accurately report on KPI’s to the transport agency

“We don’t want stopped vehicles creating safety issues on the road, wherever possible we want to keep people moving”

Aaron Lacey
Ventia

SOLUTION

The same system is providing both AID and count and classify capabilities on the motorway

75 CTS-350-X radar were deployed along the 27km motorway, encompassing all 17 connecting ramps.

Navtech’s ClearWay technology was selected to provide multiple Automatic Incident Detection (AID) capabilities including stopped vehicle, slow vehicle, wrong-way driver, pedestrian and debris detection. Additionally, Navtech were asked to provide count and classification information.

Designer and ITS co-ordinator Jeff Greenough, reflects, “It’s the first extensive radar system to be used to monitor a motorway in New Zealand. Each radar has a 500-metre radius, so there is no portion of the motorway that won’t be seen”. The commissioning of this radar system was intertwined with the motorway’s construction, presenting a unique set of challenges with multiple stakeholders. Collaborating closely at various different stages of the road’s construction, Navtech’s project delivery team employed our flexible commissioning process to fit in with the project schedule.

ClearWay applications

Applications deployed

Other available applications

Automatic Incident Detection

Wildlife Detection

Stopped Vehicle Detection

Traffic Flow Data Collection

Pedestrian Detection

Situational Awareness for Emergency Services

Debris Detection

Situational Awareness for Road Operators

Wrong-Way Driver Detection

Hard Shoulder Monitoring

Vehicle Count and Classification

IMPACT

Safety, efficiency and sustainability

The road was officially opened on 30 March 2022. ClearWay is providing multiple Automatic Incident Detection capabilities to improve safety on the motorway including stopped vehicle, wrong-way driver, pedestrian and debris detection.

Radar sensors monitor the entire 27km motorway 24/7 for incidents which require a response. The same system also provides data for effective performance monitoring.

The motorway provides a new route between the Kāpiti Coast and Wellington. Now that it’s open, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency says it’s cutting peak travel times in and out of the capital by 7 to 15 minutes in each direction. Ventia’s Aaron Lacey says there are different response strategies to the incidents picked up by the radar: “If a vehicle has a puncture, only one Incident Response Vehicle may be needed to help get the motorists mobile again. If there’s a more serious incident, the response team will co-ordinate with Emergency Services.”

Installation and commissioning images

Transmission Gully Motorway