ROD is pleased to report that an important milestone in the delivery of Transport Infrastructure Ireland's enhancing Motorway Operation Services (eMOS) programme has been reached. Variable speed limits, first introduced on the M50 in October 2021, have been extended from Junction 4 (Ballymun) to Junction 9 (Red Cow).
eMOS will enable motorway operators to slow traffic in response to collisions, roadworks, adverse weather conditions and congestion; enhance safeguards for emergency responders dealing with incidents on the M50; and keep road users better informed about incidents ahead and how they may affect their journey.
Real-time information from automatic incident detection loops in the road surface, CCTV cameras, and other communications and roadside equipment will be used to determine the appropriate speed at which vehicles should travel. The speed will be communicated to road users through digital signs located above each lane. In the event of an incident on the M50, road works or at times of heavy traffic flow, the speeds displayed on the digital signs will be lowered to slow traffic, reducing queuing and the associated risk of collisions as vehicles approach the back of queues.
The eMOS programme is being rolled out on a phased basis to give road users time to familiarise themselves with the new signs in advance of the introduction of regulatory speed limits. The system is expected to be fully deployed across the full length of the M50 during 2023.
