Two UK firms, Arup and Amey, will deliver the M4 Smart Motorway project, the first of its kind in New South Wales, Australia.
The commission includes all technology and civil works, spanning from detailed design through to construction support services.
Arup is a global engineering and design consultancy, while Amey is an infrastructure support services firm.
It is rare that we get an opportunity to influence and shape a city and its transport systems as much as the M4 Smart Motorway will– Ben Schnitzerling, Arup
The M4 Smart Motorway project will introduce technology to monitor traffic conditions, manage congestion and respond to incidents in real-time.
Arup said the project aims to increase traffic throughput, with a potential reduction of peak travel times by up to 15 minutes, and accidents by up to 30%.
The Arup and Amey team was originally formed in England to win a £25m ($32.4m) design package of the Smart Motorway Programme on the M1 motorway.
"It is rare that we get an opportunity to influence and shape a city and its transport systems as much as the M4 Smart Motorway will," said Ben Schnitzerling, Arup’s Australasian Transport and Resources Leader.
"The project is not only about the M4; it is about delivering cultural change to Sydney’s road network now and into the future. We wanted to be a part of this project because if done right, it will be the blueprint for Sydney’s future motorways."
Due to be completed in 2020, the project will use traffic sensors and CCTV cameras to monitor traffic conditions, and control message signs, speed limits, and lane usage in response to demand. Ramp signals will manage traffic flow onto the motorway.
Image: Aerial view of the M4 motorway, News South Wales, Australia (Beau Giles/Wikimedia Commons)
