Arup and Amey to Design NSW M4 Smart Motorway Project
Arup, working with Amey, will deliver the M4 Smart Motorway project, the first of its kind in New South Wales.
The commission includes all technology and civil works, spanning from detailed design through to construction support services.
The M4 Smart Motorway project will introduce intelligent technology to monitor traffic conditions, manage congestion and respond to incidents in real-time on the existing M4 Western Motorway. The project aims to increase traffic throughput, with a potential reduction of peak travel times by up to 15 minutes and accidents by up to 30%.
The Arup and Amey team was originally formed in England, combining Arup’s technical expertise with Amey’s operational management to win a recent £25 million design package of the Smart Motorway Programme on the M1. This considerable international knowledge, combined with both firms’ local highways experience, was a significant asset in securing this project.
The local team drew heavily on the knowledge of their UK counterparts, with key international members joining the design team and attending interviews with Roads and Maritime NSW throughout the tender process.
“It is rare that we get an opportunity to influence and shape a city and its transport systems as much as the M4 Smart Motorway will. The project is not only about the M4; it is about delivering cultural change to Sydney’s road network now and into the future. We wanted to be a part of this project because if done right, it will be the blueprint for Sydney’s future motorways.”
– Ben Schnitzerling, Australasian Transport and Resources Leader, Arup
Key features of the project will include additional traffic sensors and CCTV cameras to monitor traffic conditions; and variable message signs, speed limits, and lane use signs; to be able to adapt to demand. Ramp signals will assist by managing traffic flow onto the motorway.
Due to be completed in 2020, the project will bring the M4 into a select class of Smart Motorways in Australia, including another recent Arup project, Melbourne’s M1 Monash and Westgate Freeway Upgrade.
