One of the key elements of intelligent traffic management is the use of weather stations by Národná diaľničná spoločnosť, a.s. (National Motorway Company, hereafter referred to as “NDS”) on all the road sections under its management. Currently, there are more than 200 such devices installed. Weather stations are devices that provide constant monitoring of weather conditions: they measure road and air temperature, humidity, precipitation and visibility. They play an important role in sections with line traffic control (such as Bratislava). The data collected by weather stations are combined with data from traffic counters and traffic analysers, resulting in automated traffic control interventions.
“In the event of detecting dangerous weather conditions such as frost, strong wind or reduced visibility, the system automatically reduces the speed limit, displays warning symbols or adjusts the lanes. These interventions are carried out on the basis of precisely predefined algorithms without the need for human intervention,” explained Rastislav Droppa, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors and Operations Section Director of NDS.
In other sections, where the automated traffic control is not used, weather stations provide significant support for winter maintenance works. The dispatchers combine the data collected from sensors with weather forecasts provided by the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute, which are adapted to specific locations thanks to the cooperation with NDS. This results in more accurate and timely interventions, contributing to the safety and efficiency of maintenance works.
Weather stations are part of a broader package of technologies that form the basis of intelligent transport systems, together with camera systems, traffic counters and variable traffic signs. NDS intends to expand these systems to improve traffic safety, reduce congestion, and enable a faster response to incidents or weather changes, thereby enhancing passenger comfort.