Shin-Tomei Expressway: Road Control Center

Japanese provider of motorway traffic systems, NEC, is supplying the Central Nippon Expressway (NEXCO Central) with traffic control systems for the Shin-Tomei Expressway.

Installed at NEXCO Central’s Tokyo control centre, the new traffic control system processes large volumes of data collected from roadway sensors at one-minute intervals in order to provide real-time traffic information, which is almost five times the frequency processed by existing systems.

The system features IP networks that transfer information from roadway sensors to the control centre, where traffic conditions can be observed on large-scale displays of 46in x 64in and 32in x 28in.

Servers for the new system occupy around 90% less space than those for existing systems, resulting in a significant decline in power consumption.

The 744 roadside access points, featuring emergency telephones and sensors, are constructed with network equipment to support the transition from existing metal lines to IP’s high-speed optical lines, which connect networks to access point sensors and emergency telephones.

This allows quick processing of emergency telephone calls and large data received from roadside sensors, such as traffic counting devices.

Ethernet ring protocol, a network configuration where switches are connected in a ring, enables local networks that connect between access networks to maintain high-speed switching when optical fibre fails to work.

"Servers for the new system occupy around 90% less space than those for existing systems, resulting in a significant decline in power consumption."

Connected with the traffic control systems of Tomei Expressway and Chuo Expressway systems, Shin-Tomei Expressway’s system allow effective responses to large-scale emergencies.

The backup sites for the three traffic management systems installed in remote locations enable communications between backup sites and roadside equipment to continue, even if communications from the main site have been disabled.

Opened in April 2012 and operated by Central Nippon Expressway, the Shin-Tomei Expressway is a national expressway in Japan, running parallel to the Tomei Expressway as an alternate route.

Image: The road control centre of Shin-Tomei Expressway where traffic conditions can be observed on large-scale displays. Photo: courtesy of NEC Corporation.