The first stage of construction - now officially finished - comprises the motorway section A3 between Nuremberg and Wuerzburg and section A6 and A7 between Nuremberg, the interchange Feuchtwangen and Wuerzburg. SWARCO TRAFFIC SYSTEMS INTERURBAN implemented the project parts in the area of the interchanges Biebelried / Feuchtwangen / Crailsheim (lot Telematics / VMS gantries).

Two more construction stages are planned for the coming years, which will extend the project to a total of 47 information displays, covering almost the complete motorway network of Bavaria.

Dynamic network wide re-routing with variable message signs

The freely programmable matrix displays in LED technology show traffic information and alternative routing recommendations for different destinations. The information shown includes weather conditions and traffic loads as well as disturbances and incidents in Bavaria and the neighbouring federal states. The traffic is guided according to the current situation, disturbances are displayed for each direction. These measures add considerably to the safety of the whole traffic network.

Each location comprises 2 VMS signs. One is located at around 1500 m, between the advance announcement (at 2000 m) and the 1st signposting (at 1000 m). The other is placed at around 750 m, between the 1st signposting (at 1000 m) and the 2nd signposting (at 500 m). On the motorway A3 in front of the double junction Rottendorf / interchange Biebelried there is an additional location at the parallel lane in between the junction and the interchange.


System control via the sub center in the traffic and operation center Northern Bavaria (Verkehrs- und Betriebszentrale Nordbayern) in Nuremberg-Fischbach

Travel time per Bluetooth and APNR

Until 2016, at around 100 locations, detection units will be installed which determine the Bluetooth addresses of the cellular phones in the vehicles in order to collect travel time data. The calculated time difference between two measurement points indicates the travel time. At important nodes an additional APNR (Automatic License Plate Recognition) system is used to check whether the routing alternatives meet with the road user's approval. Both technologies are applied with the highest possible data security and anonymizing. The permission regarding data protection was granted by the Bavarian State Officer for Data protection.

During the project, the display cross sections were installed and brought into service section by section. For instance, the signs at the interchange Biebelried began operating right on time for the beginning of vacations in North-Rhine Westphalia, in order to better manage the increased traffic loads over a wide area.

Symbolic bringing into service of the last VMS to be installed: State Secretary Dorothee Bär (left) and transport minister Joachim Herrmann (right)

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