Towards next generation motorway control: Weather responsive Variable Speed Limit (WiSe)

This project aims to develop a Weather-Responsive Variable Speed Limit (Weather-VSL) framework to significantly enhance motorway safety, resilience, and adaptability during adverse weather conditions. The project will begin with a systematic review of national and international best practices, involving stakeholder interviews, case studies, and literature reviews to learn from existing VSL operations in various weather conditions around the world.

In parallel with this global review, the project will conduct an empirical evaluation of motorway safety and operations in Queensland to understand the specific challenges posed by local weather events. By analysing historical crash data alongside real-time traffic and weather information, the project will develop robust models to quantify the probability of traffic flow breakdown. The insights gained from this risk analysis will be crucial for designing more intelligent and effective weather VSL logic, helping to define the critical conditions that should inform speed limit adjustments.

The expected outcome are a comprehensive, practical framework and a set of recommendations for implementing an advanced Weather-VSL system. This framework will be grounded in both global best practices and Queensland empirical evidence, providing the Department of Transport and Main Roads with a robust strategy to actively manage motorway safety under all environmental conditions.