The Electronic Lane Control System upgrade on Sydney Harbour Bridge has won the award for the best Transport, Power and Infrastructure project at the annual Process and Control Engineering (PACE) Zenith Awards this month.
The award recognises the collaborative efforts of Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) and SAGE Automation in providing a crucial upgrade to one of the country’s busiest bridges.
Electronic software has been used to manage the eight lanes of traffic on the Sydney Harbour Bridge since the 1980s, however, a more efficient system was sought by RMS out in 2013.
RMS engaged SAGE Automation to assist in designing a new system using the latest technologies available. This new system was commissioned in 2014.
“To develop software which would meet the specific challenges of managing traffic flows across the Sydney Harbour Bridge the SAGE Automation engineers were imbedded in the Roads and Maritime project team,” said an RMS spokesperson.
“Through this close collaboration a new software system was developed which has improved the ability to more rapidly change northbound and southbound lane configurations and improve the Transport Management Centre’s capability to respond to traffic incidents.”
The software enables a path to be cleared more quickly for emergency services and helps to resolve congestion issues more efficiently, the spokesperson said.
“This prestigious award acknowledges the hard work and innovation of Roads and Maritime and SAGE Automation. It also reinforces the importance of collaboration with industry partners to deliver best practice technology.”