Section4 ITS deployment progress in Japan

Provision of safe road environment

- Frost and snowfall prediction system

The whole length of roads totaling 270.7 km, managed by the Nagano National Highway Work Office of the Ministry of Construction, lies in a cold district that receives heavy snowfall on the border between Niigata and Nagano Prefectures. Since freezing of the road surface and snow falling on it hamper smooth and safe driving, road surface management during the winter is very important. Following research and development of a frost prediction system based on the prediction of road surface temperature and road surface conditions and a snowfall prediction system, the Frost and Snowfall Prediction System was introduced in March 1998.
Road surface temperatures for the following 48 hours are predicted at hourly intervals at 26 points on the roads by using data obtained from roadside frost sensors and meteorological data. In addition, the minimum and maximum temperatures, road surface conditions, and snowfall are predicted twice a day, everyday at 10:00 hours and 16:00 hours at five locations in the heavy snowfall area near the border between Niigata and Nagano Prefectures. The system offers an accuracy ratio of about 70 percent and can predict the minimum temperature and snowfall to an accuracy of +-2 degree Celsius and +-2.5 cm, respectively.
These predicted figures are transmitted to five branch offices and several snow removal stations within the jurisdiction of the Nagano National Highway Work Office to help facilitate road management, and are used for organizing a snow removal system and for deciding on the call-out of snow removal teams.
(Nagano National Highway Work Office of the Kanto Regional Construction Bureau, Ministry of Construction)


Road surface temperature displayed on monitor

Thermometer



Snow depth meter


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