New technology being trialled on the M6 could reduce traffic jam delays for drivers and slash millions of pounds off the cost of roadworks.

Using the Alchera technology across all National Highways roads could cut the number of delayed journeys by 900,000 and save the public purse £18.2m

The innovation, piloted as part of a National Highways competition, led to 2,100 fewer journeys being delayed on the M6 in a two-month trial.

The technology also saved an estimated £45,000 by consolidating work and enabling the cancellation of one in 28 shifts.

The time-saving technology, developed by Alchera Technologies, was one of three finalists in a competition to find new ways to improve people’s experiences of roadworks.

A shortlist of 10 finalists was whittled down to three, which were then given the opportunity to trial their products in real-life situations on England’s motorways and A-roads with each receiving £60,000 to take their ideas forward.

Traffic flow levels are a vital factor in planning roadworks as numbers must be at an appropriate rate to enable road crews to work safely, whilst also considering the impact on road users including freight services.

The trial of Alchera’s technology used artificial intelligence to generate the most favourable works bookings, by using accurate traffic flow predictions and balancing the trade-off between creating financial efficiencies and giving road users the most positive experience. The solution optimised traffic management, reducing road closures and saving taxpayers money.

The system was successfully put to the test on the M6 between junctions 21a and 23 in the North West in partnership with Costain.

Alchera now estimates that use of the technology across all of National Highways’ roads could reduce the number of delayed journeys by 900,000 and save the public purse £18.2m.

The other two winners trialling their ideas are Robok, whose AI-powered computer vision technology analyses CCTV footage to offer a better understanding of both road user and roadworker behaviour and help improve people’s experiences of roadworks.

This trial was supported by Balfour Beatty on the M25 J10/A3 Interchange. Robok processed over 10,000 hours of video footage and successfully enhanced hazard detection capabilities.

The other trial saw WordNerds amalgamate more than a quarter of a million pieces of textual customer feedback on roadworks and pull out useful, actionable insights using AI models. Working in partnership with Costain, Kier and Balfour Beatty, the trial led to 16 major actions, from auditing signage issues to exploring EV charging options to improving communications, all based on road user comments.

National Highways’ Nicola Bell, executive director for major projects, said: “We know roadworks are frustrating for people but they are an essential part of keeping our roads safe and moving so anything we can do to ease the impact of these important works is to be welcomed.”

The competition, run in collaboration with Connected Places Catapult, has been funded through National Highways’ Designated Funds, which is dedicated to investing in and supporting initiatives that deliver lasting benefits for road users, the environment and communities across England.