Emergency operation for ASTRA after severe storms
FRIKE traffic light systems ensure safety
In early summer, severe storms hit large parts of Switzerland. Destroyed roads and unstable mountain slopes were the result. We supported ASTRA quickly and easily with our traffic light solutions. For a clear and safe journey for road users and to protect construction site personnel.
In June, heavy thunderstorms led to numerous debris flows and floods. In the southern Misox valley, the River Moesa washed away the important A13 transit route and destroyed the highway between Lostallo and Mesocco. As part of the record-breaking repair work, we received a short-term request from the ASTRA to install a mobile traffic light system in the danger zone. The aim of the system was to prevent road users from continuing into the danger zone in the event of another incident, thereby protecting them. “Thanks to our many years of experience and the tireless extra effort and several night shifts of our employees, we were able to react immediately and present a tailor-made solution within a week,” explains Tim Baur, CEO of FRIKE. To be more precise, the system was commissioned on site and handed over to the customer within four days of the order being placed.
Traffic lights replace traffic wardens
A few weeks later, we received another inquiry from the Valais: following a debris flow on the Simplon Pass, the rock above this second important north-south axis was still moving. A rock glacier on the Hübschhorn had already been crumbling for some time, but the situation became more acute after the storms. Future events could lead to the Engi Gallery and the municipal road running parallel to it being buried. Tim Baur: “Immediately after the debris flow, traffic was controlled by wardens during the initial clean-up work. However, this became too dangerous for everyone involved.” In order to protect the construction site personnel during the clean-up and reinforcement work in the gallery and to continue to ensure free movement for road users, we subsequently installed a mobile traffic light system for ASTRA in collaboration with the canton of Valais, which is automatically triggered in the event of an incident and takes over normal bottleneck control when not in use. At weekends, the system is switched to release mode via an app. It can also be used to manually block or check the system at any time.
Digitalization for more security
“One requirement for both traffic light systems - both in the south of the Grisons and in Valais - was that they could be controlled from the respective control center,” says Tim Baur. The systems are fully controlled via IoT using a mobile app or browser. The systems are equipped with camera tracking for this purpose, which is connected to a permanent high-performance radar. “We are very pleased that we have been able to support our customers quickly and easily with our product developments and make the working environment safe for construction site personnel,” says Tim Baur.
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