MERLIN is an innovative, life-saving traffic management system implemented on a 13 km stretch of dual carriageway on Reunion Island, a French territory in the Indian Ocean. As a result of severe weather conditions, driving conditions were rendered extremely dangerous: torrential seasonal rains and high winds often triggered rock falls putting driver safety at risk. The island's coastal road - flanked by the Indian ocean and a 200 metre cliff face - is one of the worst affected: rock falls along the road caused frequent traffic congestion, an increase in head on collisions, and fatal accidents. The local road authority initially put in place a tidal flow system in the hope that driver safety would be improved. However, it soon became evident that more would need to be done. The solution chosen was implementation of the MERLIN system, which resulted in better traveller information, improved driver safety, reduction in speed and elimination of head on collisions. This paper describes the development and operation of MERLIN and concludes that such a traffic management system could easily be adapted to other stretches of roadway with recurrent traffic jams and prone to disruption by natural forces.
Abstract