create more lanes than nothing

In China they have been opting for a fairly ingenious solution for urban traffic jams: to use specialized trucks that comply with the concrete barriers of the streets and roads in real time, creating additional lanes depending on where traffic will be redirected. These vehicles, known as “Zipper Trucks” or zip trucks, operate in cities such as Shenzhen, Beijing, Jinan, and as many cities, relieved traffic in peak times.

How it works. The system can be found in several shapes and sizes. On the one hand is the truck that is equipped with articulated arms and that travels the median road raising and repositioning concrete blocks that weigh more than 50 kilos each. Then there is one like The videowhich has an appearance more similar to that of a bus and that its internal system incorporates a transport tape in the form of S that collects the barriers on the one hand and deposits them on the other.

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During the mornings, when traffic is oriented towards the center of the cities, the truck moves the barriers to open an extra lane in that direction. In the afternoon, repeat the operation in the opposite direction. The entire process is carried out at a speed of about 8 kilometers per hour and in just half an hour a 3-3 lane road can be transformed to 4-2.

China is not the only. Although this system is frequent in the country, there are other territories where they use similar technology. And this system can also be seen, for example, on the Golden Gate bridge of San Francisco for a few years, and In other United States locations. In addition to as a way to relieve traffic, it is also a measure against frontal collisions. In China, the first signs of its implementation took place In Shenzhen On 2016, and since then it has spread to other megacities in the country.

An obvious advantage over the manual method. Before these automated trucks, many Chinese cities already used the concept of reversible lanes, but the work was done manually. The operators needed hours to move the barriers kilometer to kilometer, which was laborious and expensive in terms of personnel. Shenzhen’s initial zipper truck It cost 1.7 million yuan (just over 202,000 euros), and allows the same task to be carried out with a single operator and in a fraction of time.

Technology gained special visibility when the spokeswoman of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hua Chunying, shared Images of the system with the message “How does Beijing Relieves the jams? Changing the direction of traffic”, shooting its popularity in networks.

What is done in Spain. In our country, reversible lanes management is mainly carried out by electronic signaling and traffic lights that indicate the direction allowed at all times. It is usual to see these systems in urban tunnels such as The M-30 in Madrid or on some roads with high traffic density, where light panels and variable signs allow to open or close lanes according to the needs. What happens is that the movement of the barriers remains manual, so for now we do not have this system so grim implemented.

Cover image | CPG and Mao none

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