RTA endorses installation of 35 fixed and mobile cameras on junctions and highways

Accordingly the total number of surveillance cameras installed on roads & tunnels hits 232 cameras.

Al-Tayer commented on the proceedings and said that widening the use of surveillance cameras originated from the First Strategic goal of the RTA which sought to ensure smooth mobility to all users of roads and land & marine mass transit system. Therefore RTA was keen to install these cameras at light signal-controlled junctions and key roads to streamline traffic in the emirate.

He added:

'The Project covers buying 35 new surveillance cameras including 30 fixed cameras and 5 mobile cameras to be installed on highways and junctions. By awarding this contract, the number of surveillance cameras installed rises to 232 cameras, 12 of them in Al-Shindaga Tunnel, 111 in the Airport Tunnel, and 109 on highways & light signal-controlled junctions. These cameras are linked with the Control Center through optic fibers and microwaves technology.'

Mobile cameras are characterized by their live transmission of events live and ability to move in all directions horizontally & vertically. Moreover, the camera can be shifted and installed in another location in a short time not exceeding three days. Cameras can be used in monitoring the undergoing road works, temporary traffic diversions, entry & exit points of key roads, and other areas of concern.

'The Project will boost the efficiency of the smart traffic systems in a way compatible with the massive expansion of traffic volumes and road planning. The number of junctions under the scope of control & surveillance will rise from 110 to 150 junctions, and the total length of key roads covered will jump from 33 km to 108 km i.e. covering additional 75 km of roads,'

revealed Al-Tayer.

He further added that the Traffic Signal Control Center at Bani Yas, which was expanded and renovated by the RTA last year, included offices of the Intelligent Traffic Systems (ITS) as well as an advanced Control Room fitted with giant screens to monitor traffic through surveillance cameras installed at key intersections & roads. The Center also controls the ITS, which includes the directional signage system; which contains 24 Variable Messaging Signs (VMS) using state-of-the-art technology for the first time across the world. They cover key roads such as Sheikh Zayed, Al-Khaleej, Emirates, Sheikh Rashid, Abu Baker Al-Siddique, Al-Ittihad, Al-Mina, and Bani Yas Road, as well as Al Maktoum Bridge, Al-Garhoud Bridge, and Al-Shindaga Tunnel.

The ITS also includes remote sensing of roads condition by means of more than 1000 sensors used to compute the intensity of traffic and the number of vehicles. The system computes the volume of traffic congestion in main roads and highways, detects abnormal traffic flow (caused by traffic accidents, and vehicle breakdown on roads), and identifies congestion resulting from heavy traffic flow. The system also computes trip times on these roads after analyzing inputs received from site devices. It also includes 96 lane-control signs to alert motorists on the road condition well in advance, particularly in detours and highways, and in the event of a sudden congestion; where it directs drivers to alternative roads to avoid congested spots.

The Control Room in Al-Rashidiya controls the surveillance systems in the Airport Tunnel; which is classified as one of the key tunnels in the Middle East in terms of the constructional features and installed systems. There are more than 20 multifarious systems installed to ensure safety & security of the Tunnel. This includes 111 smart CCTV cameras linked with the Control Room to provide round the clock surveillance of traffic flow in the Tunnel, monitor various traffic incidents, and alerts the operator attending to the Control Room. The system carries out pre-defined work plans for handling any traffic incident / emergency situation in a prompt and an integrated manner. Cameras can also detect unauthorized pedestrian movement in the Tunnel. All images are saved and archived round the clock and can be retrieved and referred to in compiling traffic surveys and accident reports. Cameras can also compute traffic intensity in the tunnel.

The Airport Tunnel also has a system of ventilation and expelling toxic gases by means of 40 mega exhaust fans; which compute the percentage of gases generated by vehicle exhausts and expel it off the tunnel. Besides that there are 32 electronic units for detecting carbon monoxide within the tunnel through the Control Center, and 4 surface water drainage stations to ensure siphoning of water accumulating at the entrance or inside the tunnel off the tunnel through a system linked with the external surface drainage system.

It also contains a fire-fighting system; where standby power generators are in place to supply electrical power in emergency situations to ensure uninterrupted operation of the tunnel. Two fire-fighting stations have been established and linked with the fire extinguishing system and related connections within the Tunnel. It also contains more than 190 fire-fighting units covering fire extinguishers and fire hydrants. There are 75 emergency phones distributed across the walls of the tunnel, all linked with the Control Center. Optic cables and early detection & warning system are in place to detect and report incidents and smoke sources.

The Tunnel also includes a sophisticated electronic sign system consisting of 25 signs, 12 of which are VMS installed at most external intersections around the tunnel area so as to direct traffic to the proper lanes in case of total or partial closure of one stream of the tunnel. It also includes 13 VMS inside the Tunnel and lane guidance / closure signs inside and at the entrance of the tunnel. Additionally there are traffic statistical systems, and lighting control systems of the Tunnel in excess of 6000 lighting units fitted on the ceiling of the Tunnel. All systems are manned by specialist operators 24 hours a day.