Digital highway signage in Sweden

[Chris]

Sweden has installed LED signage on the 'Södra Länken' (Southern Link) motorway in Stockholm within the last few years.

All conventional signs have been replaced by digital signage. Most of the Southern Link is in tunnels and has several underground interchanges.

As a side note: Sweden has implemented identical active lane signalling on the Stockholm motorways as in the Netherlands. The only exception is that Sweden's signs show 30 km/h, while the Dutch ones don't go lower than 50 km/h.


Södra Länken Stockholm 01 by European Roads, on Flickr


Södra Länken Stockholm 02 by European Roads, on Flickr


Södra Länken Stockholm 04 by European Roads, on Flickr


Södra Länken Stockholm 05 by European Roads, on Flickr


Södra Länken Stockholm 06 by European Roads, on Flickr

[chrisg69911]

NJTA has kind of been doing the same thing with some of their signs. Part actual sign, part mechanical vms, and part digital.

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.8425677,-74.0175424,3a,15y,7.32h,93.33t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sxPEYRePxZ6t7vD-a78-2cA!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DxPEYRePxZ6t7vD-a78-2cA%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D99.163704%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

Or just part vms part digital

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.6391335,-74.2083131,3a,64.1y,209.54h,103.45t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sqQNXemCQI9XfcFJp6Z4ZuQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

[CoreySamson]

I've seen something like this in Memphis at the I-40/I-240/Sam Cooper interchange:

https://goo.gl/maps/HTDfBaJSREyaqbsG6

(GSV has a hard time displaying it)

[ClassicHasClass]

What does the dashed inner frame on some of those route numbers mean?

[hotdogPi]

What does the dashed inner frame on some of those route numbers mean?

It's equivalent to "TO".

[Revive 755]

So if the power fails there are no signs?  Unless the lane usage changes by time of day or depending upon traffic volumes and the signs are helping with that, this does not seem like a good idea.

[Road Hog]

So if the power fails there are no signs?  Unless the lane usage changes by time of day or depending upon traffic volumes and the signs are helping with that, this does not seem like a good idea.

I'm sure the vast majority of these signs are solar powered with a battery backup.

[kalvado]

So if the power fails there are no signs?  Unless the lane usage changes by time of day or depending upon traffic volumes and the signs are helping with that, this does not seem like a good idea.

I'm sure the vast majority of these signs are solar powered with a battery backup.

No solar panels to be seen in photos. Besides Sweden is pretty northern .

[Road Hog]

So if the power fails there are no signs?  Unless the lane usage changes by time of day or depending upon traffic volumes and the signs are helping with that, this does not seem like a good idea.

I'm sure the vast majority of these signs are solar powered with a battery backup.

No solar panels to be seen in photos. Besides Sweden is pretty northern .

Solar panels don't have to be butt-up against the signs. Even Sweden has these uniquely American inventions called "power cables." You ever heard of those? Besides that, as long as there is ambient light and photons flowing freely, solar power can be had. Sweden is mostly south of the Arctic Circle so there will be sunlight available throughout the year. Go back to your Geography class and come correct next time.

[Chris]

I think it should be noted that Europe has far less power outages than in the U.S. There is much less severe weather that impacts the power grid.

I assume they have a backup battery. This signage is around a major tunnel and they usually have backup power.

[hotdogPi]

I think it should be noted that Europe has far less power outages than in the U.S. There is much less severe weather that impacts the power grid.

I would think that auroras would cause disruptions.

[kalvado]

So if the power fails there are no signs?  Unless the lane usage changes by time of day or depending upon traffic volumes and the signs are helping with that, this does not seem like a good idea.

I'm sure the vast majority of these signs are solar powered with a battery backup.

No solar panels to be seen in photos. Besides Sweden is pretty northern .

Solar panels don't have to be butt-up against the signs. Even Sweden has these uniquely American inventions called "power cables." You ever heard of those? Besides that, as long as there is ambient light and photons flowing freely, solar power can be had. Sweden is mostly south of the Arctic Circle so there will be sunlight available throughout the year. Go back to your Geography class and come correct next time.

This is plausible, but would quickly create a pretty messy overall install. With 6 hours day length in winter - meaning the sun doesn't go high and solar panels have to be positioned accordingly - solar cells become a pretty bad backup anyway.

[vdeane]

I think it should be noted that Europe has far less power outages than in the U.S. There is much less severe weather that impacts the power grid.

I would think that auroras would cause disruptions.

Power grids can be hardened against EM disruptions (including something on the scale of the Carrington Event), although the US is dragging its feet on that.  Maybe Sweden isn't.

[kalvado]

I think it should be noted that Europe has far less power outages than in the U.S. There is much less severe weather that impacts the power grid.

I would think that auroras would cause disruptions.

Power grids can be hardened against EM disruptions (including something on the scale of the Carrington Event), although the US is dragging its feet on that.  Maybe Sweden isn't.

I wouldn't think about it in terms of grid reliability.
It's more about maintaining traffic flow in case of general emergency which may affect power distribution. It may hard to predict what will hit the fan next,  but apparently hurricane readiness wasn't that big thing in NY, as well as frost in Texas.
So what happens if power goes down should be the part 9f equation regardless of grid generic reliability