Driving Digital Innovation in Workzone Safety

 

OVERVIEW

In May 2025, Transport for NSW partnered with Altus Traffic to utilise digital traffic management technologies during a planned three-night closure of the M1 Tugun Tunnel. The trial introduced real-time safety tools - including sign tags, incursion detection devices, and automated real time alerts to enhance worker protection, reduce environmental impact, and improve operational efficiency. The results highlighted how smart, scalable technology can deliver safer, more sustainable outcomes.

This initiative aimed to show how digital tools can shift traffic management from traditional, manual approaches to a smarter, more responsive model. With real-time incursion alerts, speed tracking, and digital signage monitoring, the goal was to protect frontline workers, better understand driver behaviour, and reduce the environmental footprint of night operations.

WORKZONE DIGITISATION IN ACTION

The trial tested incursion detection systems across active workzones, measuring how quickly and reliably alerts were received during both drills and real scenarios.

Key highlights include:

  • Immediate Alerts: Every planned incursion whether through simulation or authorised access, triggered instant alarms, real-time text notifications to crews, enhancing responsiveness and situational awareness.

  • Strong Southbound Performance: No incursions were recorded in the southbound closure zone, reflecting the effectiveness of physical barriers and proactive risk management.

  • Operational Readiness: Northbound closure zone and the contractor workzone areas successfully demonstrated system capability during live and test scenarios, ensuring visibility and confidence for crews and stakeholders.

These findings clearly validated the value of real-time alerting as a safety enhancement, enabling crews to make faster, more informed decisions in dynamic and unpredictable environments.

SPEED COMPLIANCE INSIGHTS

Speed data gathered during the closure provided critical insight into driver behaviour and the influence of visible work activity:

  • Southbound Main Line: Delivered strong compliance, with an average speed of 54 km/h against a 60 km/h posted limit. The presence of a prior active worksite and traffic crew visibility played a significant role in encouraging safer driver behaviour.

  • Northbound Main Line: Registered higher speeds (average 77 km/h), highlighting the importance of perceived worker presence in maintaining compliance.

  • Surrounding Roads: Locations such as Stewart Road and Kennedy Drive showed lower average speeds, attributed to adjacent work activity and enforcement visibility.

The data from the devices reinforces a key safety insight: drivers are more likely to comply with reduced limits when they observe active presence of workers, or enforcement personnel.

DIGITAL SIGNAGE MONITORING

Across the three-nights, 98 digital signs were monitored using Intellitags. These signs were digitally tagged to track uptime, location, and function, eliminating the need for manual signage checks.

Performance summary:

  • Total Monitored Hours: 832

  • Downtime Recorded: Only 62 minutes across all signs

  • Compliance Rate: Averaged 99.88%, including100% compliance on the final night

The use of digital monitoring allowed traffic control crews to remain on site performing high-value tasks, such as site management and stakeholder coordination, instead of manually checking signage placement and compliance, significantly improving operational efficiency and safety oversight.

ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS

Manual signage checks typically require significant vehicle travel, contributing to carbon emissions. By relying on event-based Intellitag alerts, Altus Traffic was able to dramatically reduce vehicle movement during the closure.

Results:

  • Distance Travelled Reduced: From 170.4 km to just 5.5 km

  • Estimated Emissions Reduction: 0.129 tCO₂e

  • Carbon Savings: 97% decrease in emissions

This outcome demonstrates the power of digital tools to contribute meaningfully to sustainability goals, supporting TfNSW’s commitment to low-carbon infrastructure delivery.

CONCLUSION

The M1 Tugun Tunnel closure set a new benchmark for digitally enabled workzones.

The use of real-time alerts, automated monitoring, and behavioural insights delivered measurable improvements in safety, efficiency, and sustainability. Altus Traffic thanks Transport for NSW for demonstrating how the future of traffic management is both digital and deeply human; keeping workers safe, traffic flowing, and emissions down.

For Further Information:
- Find out more about the Workzone Digitisation system here.
- If you would like further information about Workzone Digitisation, please contact our Head of Digital, Beth Lilford at beth.lilford@altusgroup.com.au

 
Samantha Wykeswzdcasestudy