TransCore’s Expansion Earns RTA Dubai an International Toll Excellence Award

The International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) awarded the Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) of Dubai the prestigious 2014 Toll Excellence Award in Technology for its expansion of the Salik Toll System. The award was presented Sept. 15 at IBTTA’s 82nd Annual Meeting in Austin, TX.

Already home to the world’s widest Open-Road tolling zone spanning seven lanes in a single direction, RTA’s objectives were to reduce growing traffic congestion, encourage use of alternative routes, and maintain open lane operations during maintenance and future expansions.

“Our decision to first implement and then expand a free-flow toll system mirrors a trend around the globe to manage congestion through technology and likewise support economic growth throughout the Emirate,” said Maitha Bin Adai, engineer and CEO for the RTA.

TransCore designed the original Salik Toll System in 2006. For this expansion project, the Nashville, TN-based transportation company constructed three additional electronic tolling locations, consisting of six new toll gates and added several feature enhancements:

To ensure reliable operation in Dubai’s desert climate, TransCore deployed above ground equipment using an innovative gantry design to reduce the effects of direct sunlight and protect against adverse wind conditions.

Real-time image processing that could accommodate seven lanes of traffic was located at the roadside to more effectively capture images of all vehicles traveling up to and in excess of 140 kph.

Reliability during power or network failures was ensured by developing a sophisticated system of dual zone controllers and A/C units, redundant networks, and fault detection and alarm notifications.

As a result of the system expansion, the Salik Toll System can now process more than three million transactions each day, and traffic volumes have reduced up to 22% during peak travel times – thus achieving the goals of the expansion.

“RTA had the foresight to provide a free-flowing, electronic tolling solution that can accommodate Dubai’s growing population,” said Karim Rizkallah, managing director, TransCore Middle East. “We are honored to be their technology partner and congratulate them on this recognition from IBTTA.”