5.2 Protection and Renewal

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The protection and renewal of the National Roads network is where TII incurs its greatest proportion of expenditure. Protection and Renewal encompasses three investment portfolio themes: Road Safety; Asset Management & Network Operations; Resilience & Climate Adaptation.

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Priorities

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Figure from page 38

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Road safety is and will continue to be an integral part of every aspect of TII’s work, particularly along the National Roads network. TII will deliver on its actions in the Road Safety Strategy (2021-2030) and collaborate with partners to deliver on supporting actions. In line with the European Union Road Infrastructure Safety Management (RISM) directive, TII will target investment on sections of the National Roads network with the highest risk of fatal or serious injury. In line with NIFTI, TII will meet asset protection and renewal requirements to help to ensure the safety of users on the network. TII’s road safety programme will focus on achieving safe roadsides and a safe environment for vulnerable road users in line with the safe systems approach.

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Project showcase- Speed-over-distance cameras on the M7, Tipperary Co. TII began operation of new speed safety cameras along M7 in Co. Tipperary in April 2022, between Junction 26 - Nenagh (West) and Junction 27 - Birdhill, a section of road which is subject to sudden changes in weather.

Speed-over-distance cameras record vehicles at two distinct points at a set distance apart and note the exact time a vehicle passes each camera. The operation allows An Garda Síochána to accurately calculate the speed of the vehicle. The current section is covered in both directions.

TII analysis indicated speeding in this area was cause for concern and safety risks were compounded during rain or hail showers, increasing the potential of serious incidents. It is hoped that the introduction of the new camera system will lead to a reduction in the number of motorists violating speed limits, thus improving road safety.

5.2.2 Asset Management & Network Operations

A key priority for TII is to maintain the existing National Roads network to a robust and safe standard. Essential maintenance at the optimal time will reduce safety risks and the overall cost. A significant percentage of National Roads annual expenditure will relate to the maintenance, protection, and renewal of existing national roads.

Strategies to prioritise protection and renewal were successfully implemented for the existing motorway network, while parts of the network such as the National Secondary roads require further investment. TII will use asset management principles to manage National Roads assets safely, sustainably, efficiently, and effectively over their useful life.

TII is investing in increased development and deployment of smart infrastructure, to improve road capacity, safety, efficiency, and performance. Emerging and mature technologies include C-ITS, variable speed limits, connected maintenance sensors, and weigh-in-motion technology. Integration of transport and smart infrastructure will also require telecommunication improvements to gain benefits from digitalisation and support decarbonisation.
Project showcase- Dynamic Traffic Management Enhancing Motorway Operation Services	Project showcase- C-ITS Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems pilot
	C-ITS is a means for road users and operators to share information and coordinate their actions. It will enable drivers to make more informed decisions (i.e., speed, headway, and lane positions) about their journey. The pilot project deployed, illustrated in Figure 5.2, will trial and evaluate C-ITS services, encompassing a group of technologies and applications that allow efef ctive data exchange through wireless communication technologies, very often between vehicles (vehicle-to- vehicle or ‘V2V’) or between vehicles and infrastructure (vehicle-to-infrastructure or ‘V2I’). The pilot is deployed across fvi e sections, as shown below, and on-road trials are due to commence in 2023. The pilot trials the delivery of messages directly to drivers in their vehicles about conditions on the road ahead, including congestion, road works, slow or stationary vehicles, as well as advisory information such as dynamic speed limit information and weather condition warnings. The evaluation and assessment phase of the pilot will report on the technical performance of the technology, the impact of C-ITS on road safety and efcfi iency, and user acceptance of the technology. These fni dings will be used to inform the development of specifci ations, as well as the future implementation of C-ITS in Ireland.
The Dynamic Traffic Management programme consists of four key strands: M50 Traffic Flow Optimisation (MTFO): The optimisation of traffic flow on the M50 and approaches through the deployment of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) technology, including variable speed limits, lane control signals, variable message signs and CCTV coverage. The expansion of the existing Dublin Tunnel Control Building to provide a new, state of the art motorway operations control centre (MOCC), in which TII manages the motorway network The implementation of a Network Intelligence and Management System (NIMS), an overarching, adaptive system that receives and processes information from multiple roadside traffic monitoring devices and allows TII to manage all ITS systems operating on the motorway network. A national Cooperative Intelligent Transportation System (C-ITS) pilot project, implemented as part of Ireland’s participation in the C-Roads platform, a joint initiative of EU member states and road operators to ensure harmonisation and interoperability of C-ITS services across the EU.
	Figure 5.2 Ireland’s C_ITS Pilot