Victoria has wrapped up a trial of real‑time road monitoring technology on the Western Freeway to help keep our bridges and roads strong.
The Bridge Weigh‑In‑Motion (BWIM) system, tested between Melton and Ballan last year, uses cutting‑edge sensors to track how heavy vehicles travel - collecting live data of heavy vehicle movements without disrupting traffic.
More importantly the data collected gives engineers an insight into how our bridges are being used day‑to‑day and build a picture of how the network is being used.
With clearer, road specific data, we can better understand how our bridges and roads are coping with heavy vehicle movements.
This technology will complement the existing weigh-in-motion network for a better understanding of a vehicle's location or onboard mass.
The system is portable, which means a single equipment set can be applied across multiple sites without the need for permanent infrastructure.
The two‑week installation involved attaching sensors under the bridge, along with a roadside camera and a small solar power unit to monitor loads and heavy vehicles using the bridges.
The 12-month trial was a collaboration between the Department of Transport and Planning, Slovenian technology company CESTEL, and local contractor Fulton Hogan.
This trial is the first time this technology has been used in Australia following the successful deployment on key infrastructure throughout Europe, Asia, North and South America.
As stated by Minister for Ports and Freight Melissa Horne
''The new technology is a game changer giving bridge engineers precise information on bridge use - right down to the weight applied by individual axles of individual trucks.''
"This initiative marks a significant step in data-driven infrastructure management and supports our commitment to maintaining a safe, efficient, and sustainable transport network.''
