An Urban – Inter-Urban Solution for Highways Agency Tactical Diversion Routes

Many United Kingdom (UK) Local Authorities (LAs) have implemented Urban Traffic Management and Control (UTMC) Common Database systems focusing on the integration of their urban Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS). LAs are now looking at the interface with the main arterial inter-urban routes, managed by the Highways Agency (HA), where diversions off these routes can significantly affect the flow of traffic in the surrounding urban areas. There is no existing mechanism for the HA to notify LAs of such diversions, which limits their ability to prepare for abnormally high volumes of traffic entering their network. This paper introduces a solution implemented for Lancashire County Council (LCC) using their existing UTMC Common Database system to accommodate a link between LCC and the HA for diversion activations, enabling LCC to put measures in place to minimize impact on the diversion route and surrounding urban network.