We’re upgrading signals on Plymouth’s largest and busiest roundabout to help improve traffic flow and reduce carbon emissions.
Work to install new MOVA (Microprocessor Optimised Vehicle Actuation) signal controllers at Marsh Mills, which sees around 35,000 vehicle movements a day, got under way last week and will continue until mid-February.
It is the latest site in the city to undergo an upgrade, with MOVA now operating over a third of the city’s junction controllers.
MOVA technology is smarter than other traffic control systems in that it can monitor the number of vehicles approaching from further away and assess the impact that queuing vehicles will have on a junction. This means it can continually adjust the ‘green time’ for each approach in a more intelligent and responsive way.
MOVA units 'learn' regular traffic movements, which can be particularly useful in locations where traffic conditions vary considerably depending on the time of day, day of week or even season. They can also communicate with MOVA units at other junctions along the same route.
Councillor Mark Coker, Cabinet Member for Strategic Transport and Planning, said: “We have made it a priority to reduce traffic congestion and carbon emissions in Plymouth and replacing our ageing systems with more intuitive technology like MOVA means we can ensure our signals perform more efficiently.
“We’re not just upgrading the signal controllers as part of this work; we’re also installing new extra low voltage equipment, which reduces our electricity costs and replacing signal heads and poles, helping to improve the overall resilience of our road network.”
To minimise disruption during the upgrade, which is being funded by developers through Section 278 agreements, we are carrying out the vast majority of the work overnight. We are also using temporary signals that use MOVA technology themselves and have so far been very effective in managing traffic through the work.