UK National Highways sets out digital revolution vision
A virtual twin of the road network that can predict the time and location of potholes and other maintenance issues is just one of the innovations poised to transform National Highwaysโ future operations.
Other initiatives that could lead the charge on a digital revolution for roads include intelligent road materials able to repair themselves and more connected and autonomous plant.
These are some of the systems set to be rolled out as part of National Highwaysโ Digital Roads strategy which is being outlined today on a new website and โvirtualย learning environmentโ.
The web pagesย clearly set out theย companyโsย Digital Roads 2025 vision and how the growth of digital technology and the move to electric, connected and autonomous vehicles will fundamentally change roads in the future.
National Highways Executive Director of Strategy and Planning, Elliot Shaw, said: โWe are at the beginning of a digital revolution on our roads network, a once-in-a-century transformation which will fundamentally change how our roads are designed, built, operated and used.
โThe Digital Roads journey, the strategy that will create the roads of the future, is huge. It covers every aspect of theย roadsย infrastructure from design and construction, to how roads are operated to the changing experience for all road users.
โDigital Roadsย willย make our roads saferย and greener. Improvements and maintenanceย will beย delivered more quickly with less disruption andย road users will haveย a far betterย end-to-end journeyย experience, with savings on time and the cost of travel.โย ย
National Highways, formerly Highways England, is laying the foundations of the Digital Roads vision with several ambitious partnerships working at the forefront of technology.
The road twinning system is being developed in collaboration with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the EU MSCA COFUND programme, construction and engineering company Costain and the University of Cambridge. It will see drawings and static models replaced with digital versions that can identify when maintenance is needed.
The system is being developed thanks to two grants: the ยฃ8.6 million EPSRC Digital Roads Prosperity Partnership grant and the ยฃ6 million EU MSCA COFUND Future Roads Fellowships programme.
The University of Cambridge Principal Investigator of these grants, Dr Ioannis Brilakis, said:ย โIt is high time the transportation infrastructure sector embraces digital transformation. We should strive to replace drawings and static 3D models with dynamic and data-rich Digital Twins, pdf documents with databases, file exchange with cloud permissions exchange, passive materials with smart materials able to sense and heal themselves and automate all manual routine maintenance. All this is possible on a data science foundation, able to generate rich, data-driven insights to help us make better decisions.โ
Combining โliveโ data from intelligent materials in the existing road surface with a digital twinning system that visualises the road and its condition will identify when maintenance work is needed, with roads able to repair themselves using self-healing materials. This will dramatically reduce the need for time consuming and costly on-site inspections, prevent unnecessary delays to drivers and reduce the emissions generated by roadworks.
Also in use or being developed are connected and autonomous plant, off-site fabrication and modular construction methods.
As well as reducing disruption for drivers, these steps will reduce the associated carbon emissions by around 50 per cent and help to meet the target of zero injuries or deaths on the network by 2040.
The Digital Roads vision for the strategic road network supports the Governmentโs ambition of โthe UK being a world leader in shaping the future of transportโ and supporting Britainโs growth. For example,ย digital design and construction could reduce scheme delivery times by up to 50 per cent.
Roads Minister Baroness Vere said:ย โFrom digital road models that can predict where maintenance is needed on the real-life road network, to self-repairing road surfaces, and automated cone laying machines, weโre committed to keeping the UK at the forefront of technological developments.
โIโm therefore delighted that National Highwaysโ vision reflects this, benefitting road users for many years to come with greener, smoother, safer journeys.โ ย
How the network is operated is becoming more automated and data driven. The use of technology enables National Highways to pre-empt situations rather than just responding to them. For example, sensor technology will forecast traffic levels, weather and environmental conditions enabling us to pre-emptively prepare and respond to situations.
Communication with drivers is improving, ensuring that accurate information is available to help plan journeys through their preferred digital channels. Longer term, the deployment of connected and autonomous vehicles is expected to drastically improve traffic flow and reduce incidents by up to 90 per cent.
Ian Patey, Immediate Past-Chair of ITS (UK), said:ย โNational Highwaysโ vision for Digital Roads will transform road transport in the UK; harnessing technology to create greener, safer, more inclusive and more reliable mobility โ the embodiment of an Intelligent Transport System.โ
Visitors to the new website will be able to enter a โvirtual learning environmentโ with additional information about how National Highways will deliver its vision and the impact on road users, employees and companies in the supply chain.
The vision for Digital Roadsย alsoย goes beyond 2025 and looksย forward toย 2050ย and beyond. Freight platooning, personalised in-vehicle messaging as well as vehicles sharing data, and decluttered roads free from signageย – these are some of theย ambitionsย for theย roads of theย future.
National Highways recognisesย that realising the vision will rely on the continued support of the supply chain and stakeholders.ย We areย preparing to launchย a Digital Roads innovationย competition later in the year looking for fresh ideas and involvement.
Thisย will be funded through the Innovation and Modernisation designated fund.
Visit the Digital Roads website here.
