Alberta drivers get visual cue into road safety

A new system of camera-equipped road weather information stations that enables motorists to preempt road conditions before hitting the road, has recently been launched on Alberta’s highways. Motorists are able to asses road risks prior to leaving the house as they are can view photos of various provincial locations on Alberta’s highway network at www.ama.ab.ca, the Alberta Motor Association’s road report website as well as www.Drive-West.com, the new traveler information pilot website. Currently the photos, which are updated every 20 to 30 minutes, are available for nine of the 27 planned locations. The rest will be available within the next six weeks.The first 27 road weather sites were installed during 2005 on Highways 1, 2, 16, and 43 at a cost of $2.7 million. The federal government contributed $652,000 of this through the Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program. The Alberta government funded the remainder. By the end of 2007, 75 sites are planned to operate in Alberta. The pictures are supplied by cameras, which are mounted on road weather information station towers at particular sites. These locations are composed of an embedded pavement sensor that resembles a large hockey puck and measures pavement temperature and moisture levels as well as the small tower. The tower also houses equipment that measures air temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction as well as atmosphericx pressure.The tower transmits the information from its equipment and the pavement sensors to a central database.Maintenance contractors use the information to respond proactively to changing road conditions. The information is also available to other public sector organizations such as municipalities. Private sector organizations can also access the information through a subscription with Telvent, the road weather information service provider.Motorists are warned that the cameras and their photos are only used for observing road and weather conditions and will not be used for enforcement purposes.