Siemens ITS has been awarded a contract by civil engineering contractor Alun Griffiths to supply, test and commission traffic signals and CCTV equipment for a series of junctions and roundabouts as part of Somerset County Council’s Yeovil Western Corridor project.
The contract covers both the replacement of life-expired equipment and the installation of new signals and cameras across 11 locations throughout Yeovil. The 18-month program forms part of a major traffic management upgrade, and is designed to improve traffic flow and to help manage the increasing volumes of traffic that are forecast as a result of the town’s continued expansion. The works will be delivered in a series of phases to ensure that disruption to traffic, residents and businesses is kept to a minimum. On completion, the works will reduce congestion and provide additional vehicle capacity at major junctions and roundabouts, with the County Council estimating that journeys will be 23% faster across the western side and 16% faster across the eastern side of Yeovil.
Siemens ITS will make use of its Plus+ third-generation traffic control system for the Yeovil project. The company’s latest development in traffic control technology uses distributed intelligence to increase intersection uptime and reduce on-street installation and maintenance time. The new ST950 Plus+ system no longer uses many of the individual connections between signal heads and controllers; instead it uses simple four-core cables and intelligent communications to reduce the installation effort, as well as saving valuable resources. Plus+ uses dedicated failsafe controllers, signal heads, and pedestrian indicators, as well as new smartloop modules, ensuring that the overall system is tolerant of individual component and cable damage, resulting in higher intersection availability and reduced disruption to the traveling public.
“We selected Siemens to be our supply partner for the signals and CCTV systems based on our previous experience of working with the company, and the proven reliability of its products and systems,” explained Peter Townsley, senior quantity surveyor at Alun Griffiths. “We are confident that Siemens has the experience, expertise and capability to provide the flexibility in scope and supply that we may require.”
John Navin, Siemens’ regional sales manager, commented, “As the UK’s leading ITS supplier, we are proud to be playing such an integral role in this scheme, and to have an opportunity to work closely again with Alun Griffiths. In addition, as the incumbent traffic signal maintenance provider for Somerset County Council, we also value the opportunity to help the council improve the traffic flow through one of its thriving towns.”
