Wellington's new Wellington Traffic Operations Centre opened today to improve highway operations and keep motorists better informed with up-to-the-minute travel information including road works, accidents and the latest weather conditions.
The new Transport Operations Centre, located in Johnsonville will provide round the clock traffic monitoring and operation of 3000km of state highways and motorways throughout Wellington as well as the central and lower North Island.
"A wall of video screens provide our operators with the ability to manage what is happening on the state highway network and ensure motorists have the most reliable travel information while they are driving and to help motorists plan their journey," says Mark Owen, NZTA Acting Highways and Network Operations Manager.
The Wellington Transport Operations Centre monitors and manages state highways and motorways from Mount Messenger in Taranaki, as far north as the Three Sisters on the Desert Road, east to East Cape, and south into Wellington city.
"The centre receives live feeds from 120 cameras transmitting images into the control room for our operators to monitor traffic flows, manage roadway incidents and peak hour motorway flows as well as the latest weather conditions. The centre provides traffic information for radio and internet updates as well as roadside signs and motorway electronic messages," says Mr Owen.
The Wellington TOC is coordinated with the NZ Police and contractors working on the roads the minute weather. It is also the civil defence and emergency management hub for Wellington, the lower and central North Island.
"With Easter coming up, this new traffic operations centre will help keep people safe as they travel to and from their holiday destinations," he says.
The Minister of Transport, Steven Joyce, opened the state of the art Wellington Transport Operations Centre this morning.
