A30 Goss Moor

Integrated OHVD/CCTV System

This system integrates several innovative ITS technologies and combines them to provide maximum value and effectiveness. These technologies include Wireless LAN (IEE 802.11b). This is also the first Highways Agency project to implement full TCP/IP based CCTV control and monitoring.

The system is located on the Bodmin section of the A30, a bottleneck, which includes the Goss Moor low railway bridge which is famous for causing traffic problems as vehicles hit it or slow down and then stop, waiting to be rescued by the police. As well as providing general purpose surveillance for the police on this busy section of road, six cameras are used to record over height vehicles passing two critical points each side of the below standard height Bridge. The recordings include the signals which have been activated for the high vehicle and the number plate of the vehicle.

In the event that a vehicle is detected beyond the point where it can divert, a second set of signs near the bridge are activated to warn the driver again. The Police at Bodmin Police Station are warned of an impending bridge impact or potential traffic problem when the vehicle gets stranded in front of the bridge at the point of no return. The vehicle's approach to the bridge and operation of the warning signals is recorded, emailed to stakeholders and stored in a RAID based archive.

After a bridge strike, some damage to the railway bridge structure and possibly railway track could ensue, and debris may be left in the road causing problems for road users such as motorcyclists. The CCTV surveillance system includes high power, precision 30x5 optical zoom lenses to allow the police user to analyze the bridge and the bridge structure 'close-up' and assess any potential for a secondary incident due to debris of bridge failure. They may then call out the emergency services. For incidents that occur at night, long range (up to 200m) Infra Red spot and floodlight illumination is provided to pick out any small objects or damage. The cameras themselves are selected to operate down to very low luminance levels.

SSL's hand written control and monitoring software includes full general purpose IP based CCTV surveillance as well as a library management screen for reviewing and playing back recordings of the past incidents. The work has been undertaken for Amey Mouchel Area 1 and Parsons Brinckerhoff, with SSL as principal contractor. All aspects of the work (including the civil engineering aspects) have been designed and managed by SSL. The civil's work has had to satisfy special requirements including HA TR1100, the new IRRRS rules, SSSI constraints, network rail constraints and the problem of carrying out civil engineering work, involving ditch crossings, trenching and thrust boring adjacent to the busy single carriageway section of the A30 trunk road.

Like many of SSL's integrated systems, the original problem was brought to us by our customer, and the product to solve the problem is unique, but the systems integration and software developments carried out could very easily be adapted to help solve other similar problems.