Optimal co-ordinated and integrated
motorway network traffic control

A. Kotsialos, M. Papageorgiou, and A. Messmer

Proc. 14th Intern. Symposium on Transportation and Traffic Theory (Elsevier Science),
Jerusalem, Israel, 20-23 July 1999, pp. 621-644.

The problem of designing integrated traffic control strategies for motorway networks with the use of ramp metering, motorway-to-motorway, and route guidance control measures is considered. A generic problem formulation is presented in the format of a discrete-time optimal control problem whose numerical solution is achieved by use of a nonlinear optimisation method. The software tool used for the determination of the optimal coordinated and integrated control strategies is called AMOC (Advanced Motorway Optimal Control) and is based on the macroscopic modelling tool METANET developed in the past. As illustrative examples, two relatively simple motorway networks are considered under different control scenarios. In each case the optimal control strategy is discussed along with its effect on the traffic flow process. The results demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed approach as well as the intelligent behaviour of the designed control strategy.