Signs of the Times

Motorists will be given real time information about journey times on the A414 in Hemel Hempstead as part of a pilot scheme by Hertfordshire County Council.

Variable Message Signs (VMS) will be used to display travel times and information on delays and congestion between junction 8 of the M1 and the town centre (Plough Roundabout).

The scheme will run for a trial period of two weeks, starting on 2 June, from Monday to Friday between 7am and 7pm. If the trial is deemed to be a success, consideration will be given to extending it to other routes.

The information will be processed through the Integrated Transport Control Centre (ITCC) at County Hall. Hertfordshire County Council and its highways contractor Ringway working closely with the emergency services, to monitor traffic and respond to unplanned incidents on the road. This includes making use of VMS at critical points to advise of issues across the area.

There are 91 VMS (Variable Message Signs) across Hertfordshire. They have been introduced in Stevenage, Bishop's Stortford, Hemel Hempstead, Watford, St Albans, Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield, Borehamwood, Elstree, Potters Bar and Rickmansworth to offer real-time advice for drivers.