DRUM scoops top prize at Highways Magazine Excellence Awards

TRL and MTS are delighted to announce that they have won the prestigious Highway Industry Product of the Year award for DRUM. The award was announced at the Highways Magazine Excellence Awards 2009 ceremony at the Millennium Hotel Mayfair on Thursday 22nd October.

DRUM, standing for Dynamic Roadspace Utilisation Manager, delivers an innovative traffic management system for road works that is based on real time traffic information, rather than rigid timetables.

First introduced to the highways industry in early last year, DRUM creates many benefits: it allows the contractor to work flexibly, more efficiently and cost effectively; journey time reliability for the road user is improved, and importantly, CO2 emissions are reduced by the reduction in traffic queues.

Steve James, Group Manager, Network Performance, TRL said: “This is a powerful example of legacy research being applied to produce an effective operations tool for the benefit of road users, road works managers and the Highways Agency, by reducing congestion through road works.”

DRUM uses real-time traffic flow data which is collected by using Wavetronix SmartSensor HD, a non-intrusive side-fired microwave radar, supplied by MTS (Mobile Traffic Solutions), who also market DRUM.

Peter Diamant, Sales Director adds: “DRUM is a highly effective traffic management tool. It enables the contractor to utilise more network time by combining unique technologies and improving project efficiency.”

DRUM has been used on a number of occasions on the HA Network, most recently on the M61 between Junctions 3 and 4. Anyone wanting further information on how DRUM can assist road works management should visit ukmts.com.