Vaisala’s Next Generation Road Weather System Help Cornwall Prepare for Winter Conditions

Vaisala has recently completed the first full-scale installation of 12 next generation RWS200 Road Weather Stations in the United Kingdom. Cornwall Council is the first customer to take delivery of Vaisala’s new road weather stations putting the local road authority on the crest of the latest technology. The system including RoadDSS(TM) information services is now fully operational, just in time for winter driving conditions, bringing improved efficiency and increased safety for road users.

Cornwall Leads the Way

The Council took the decision to invest in the latest technology in road weather sensing to enhance the winter service of the highways. Vaisala weather stations are designed to provide highly accurate information for road managers, so they can tackle whatever the icy winter weather throws at them. In addition, the stations include a range of sophisticated devices that report road conditions at regular intervals throughout the day and night. A constant weather eye is kept on Cornwall’s roads to ensure that they are as safe and free flowing as possible at any time of the year.

Improved Efficiency, Safer Roads & Cost Savings

Lydia Hewitt, ITC Operations Officer for Cornwall Council, said of the installation “In these challenging times of austerity this is a very exciting project for Cornwall. We are very pleased to be working with Vaisala on such a project. The new stations provide accurate information allowing for enhanced decisions for salting to be made. This is a capital investment that will deliver revenue savings in both equipment maintenance and road salting.”

Antero Järvinen, Director for Vaisala’s Road and Rail Business said, “We are excited about the opportunity to partner with Cornwall in developing a world class road maintenance program. With the Vaisala iRWIS system Cornwall now have a seamlessly integrated and the most comprehensive road weather solution in the industry.”

Next Generation Road Weather Station

Vaisala launched the RWS200 road weather station, with improved measurement reliability, earlier this year. Combined with sophisticated decision support software RoadDSS(TM), it forms a revolutionary intelligent road weather information system called iRWIS.

As the key component to Vaisala road weather solutions, the RWS200 was designed with the future of road weather and ITS in mind. The advanced algorithms bring in raw data from the pavement sensor, and by using other atmospheric information, can create better calculations of surface conditions. The station utilizes state-of-the-art sensors that are accurate and reliable in the most demanding weather conditions. These all help to improve decision-making and reduce costs, while offering greater operational efficiency.

About Cornwall Council

Cornwall is located at the south-west tip of England and has the longest stretch of coastline in England. Cornwall Council is responsible for over 4,530 miles (7,250 kilometers) of road from major principal roads to narrow country lanes. Winter service provision is an important part of keeping the transport moving around the county, with £1m being spent each year on salting the roads affected by winter weather. The Council’s strategy involves salting major roads when there is a risk of ice, clearing snow and reacting to floods and fallen trees.

About Vaisala

Vaisala is a global leader in environmental and industrial measurement. Building on 78 years of experience, Vaisala contributes to a better quality of life by providing a comprehensive range of innovative observation and measurement products and services for chosen weather-related and industrial markets. Headquartered in Finland, Vaisala employs approximately 1500 professionals worldwide and is listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki stock exchange.  www.vaisala.com  www.twitter.com/VaisalaGroup