Conclusions of the 2nd International Conference on Road Tunnel Operations and Safety as well as the VIII Spanish Tunnels Symposium of the Technical Road Association (ATC)

As secretary of the Tunnels Committee, I have the honour of presenting, for the first time, the conclusions of an ATC Tunnels Symposium, on this occasion the VIII Spanish Tunnels Symposium, which took place alongside the 2nd International Conference on Road Tunnel Operations and Safety.

Maintenance and Traffic Operations of Heavily Trafficked Urban Road Tunnels

In conclusion of the previous working group reports, the main complications in the operations of an urban road tunnel stem from the high traffic volumes and specific use characteristics. Urban traffic creates great demands for an effective management of flows, incidents and maintenance, not only for the tunnel but also on the surrounding network. As a key piece of infrastructure within the urban area in terms of economic activity and mobility, urban tunnels are constantly under pressure to extend [...]

The complex nature of operating a large infrastructure

All infrastructures have their own unique characteristics that influence their operation. Calle 30 has a 40 km network of tunnels that are the largest urban tunnels in Europe and have a very high traffic volume. These tunnels were built along the banks of the Manzanares river, with a large part of them below the water table. The Madrid Río park was constructed above the tunnels and provides access to many of the technical rooms for the tunnel’s installations. Calle 30 is a ring road that [...]

KITT – Artificial Intelligence to Improve the Safety of Tunnels and Tunnel Control Centres

Digitalisation and the desired networking open up a new possibility: the use of the traffic collective as a fully digitalised mobility, information and communication platform. This technology, known as C-ITS (Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems) and to be regarded as an extension of driving assistance systems, should in future make it possible for additional information to be available for the infrastructure operator and for the road user to assess the current traffic or safety situation in [...]

Alternative energy vehicles (AEV) in the Somport tunnel

The emergence on our roads of alternative energy vehicles, hereinafter AEV, and the new technologies used to power them, has led to an evolution of the procedures used to respond to incidents involving these kinds of vehicles and therefore of the risks to those involved in the incidents, especially fires.