The government delegate in the Community of Madrid, Francisco Martín, visited today, together with the subdelegate of the Government in Segovia, Marian Rueda, the Operations and Road Safety Center of San Rafael (Segovia) from which the traffic of the AP-6, AP61, AP51 and the tunnels of Guadarrama is monitored 24 hours, 365 days a year.
This center ensures road safety on these roads and, especially, in the three interoperable integrated tunnels that run under the Sierra de Guadarrama between PK 49 and 60 of AP-6.
Those responsible for the installation have explained how a sudden decrease in the speed of a vehicle, the arrest of a driver on the roadside or any other incident that may compromise the fluidity of the circulation triggers an alarm in the Operations and Road Safety Center, whose professionals, in coordination with the emergency services and traffic agents, are put to work to restore normality in the shortest possible time.
Real-time monitored tunnels
These tunnels, like all those that are part of the network of high-capacity tracks managed by Autocarriles, have an advanced technology both for the automatic detection of incidents and for the immediate and coordinated implementation of the protocols of action in case of emergency, and the circulation inside it is monitored permanently and in real time.
In the case of the Guadarrama tunnels, from the Operations and Road Safety Center of San Rafael located in the AP-6, a team of professionals supervises the conditions both inside and in the access areas and ensures that the circulation is carried out safely 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The design of lighting, ventilation and fire extinguishing systems makes them fundamental tools for action in case of emergency. The evacuation exits, properly signposted, are essential elements for the safety of drivers.
In addition, they have the possibility to send messages to the tunnels through the megaphone system installed for this purpose and transmit recommendations such as adapting the speed, increasing the safety distance, respecting the signals and avoiding unnecessary overtaking.
Four Operations Centers in Spain
Along with this San Rafael Center, there are three other similar ones in Villadangos del Páramo (León), Logroño and Vallcarca (Barcelona – Sitges). The latter also hosts the Future Road Lab of Abertis, a laboratory of innovation on the motorway. Around a hundred professionals are responsible for managing motorway traffic services, keeping traffic information constantly updated and meeting the needs of road users.
The four centers monitor in real time, 24 hours a day, the 6 concessions managed with 561 km with majority participation, with more than 30 km of tunnels, which produce more than 360 million transits annually.
Motorways manages more than 41,000 assistance to customers on motorways and in links and more than 230,000 communications made from the Operations and Road Safety Centers aimed at internal resources, customers, public administrations, mobility agents in the daily management of the road.
Commitment to Sustainability
For years, Autocarriles has maintained a firm commitment to the sustainable and responsible use of resources, taking care of the natural environment that surrounds the highways. On the other hand, it plans each of its actions to comply with environmental regulations, reduce pollution and its impacts caused by the activity and by the use of the infrastructure.
Therefore, it also implements an energy management and decarbonization plan, which includes a green fleet of vehicles, 100% of the electrical energy from renewable sources, change of lighting to LED technology in the road network, renovation of the ventilation system in the tunnels, and the installation of a network of electrolineras on its tracks.
