Co-ordinated ramp signals
To make merging easier, traffic signals have been installed on smart freeway on-ramps.
These signals work the same as normal traffic lights, only faster, quickly switching between green, yellow and red, allowing one car per lane to join the freeway at a time.
Managing the flow of vehicles onto the freeway makes merging easier and safer. It prevents stop-start conditions building from the merge point and helps keep freeway traffic moving.
The ramp signals are used to minimise congestion on the smart freeway - mainly during peak periods or when there is an incident.
When switching on, the yellow lights flash for 10 seconds followed by four seconds of constant yellow then six seconds of red before switching to the normal green, yellow, red cycle.
When flashing yellow, you may proceed through the lights with caution, just like other traffic signals. If they change to constant yellow before you get to the stop line, stop and wait for the green light signals.
When the ramp signals are switching off, they flash yellow for ten seconds, during which you may proceed with caution.
This information is shared between all ramps, with our smart freeway system calculating how long vehicles need to be kept at each ramp signal for optimal freeway flow, and improved journey times.
Coordinated ramp signals meter traffic onto our freeway in a measured way to minimise congestion.
Each signal could vary depending on the amount of traffic seeking to access the freeway and the traffic conditions on the freeway. However, the ramp signals generally change much quicker than normal traffic lights.