Indra improves the safety and sustainability of the El Melón tunnel in Chile with one of the most advanced traffic control systems in the world

Indra, a leading global technological engineering company for the aerospace, defence and mobility sectors, has implemented its most advanced management and control technology for tunnels and free-flow tolls for the El Melón Tunnel project in Chile. These world-leading systems will substantially transform the service currently provided on Route 5 North, on which this infrastructure is located, by improving its safety and operability and passenger satisfaction, as well as the environmental friendliness of the road, as they contribute to reducing congestion and emissions and promote more efficient and ecological means of transport.

Indra’s Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and the In-Mova Traffic smart control and integrated traffic and infrastructure management platform, part of its Mova Traffic line of solutions, now monitor and manage both the old and the newly-built tunnels, as well as the open-air access roads, which run in parallel for 2.6 kilometers. Indra’s solution will thus allow comprehensive control of the entire infrastructure and the traffic that runs through it with a high degree of automation. The two tunnels replace an old road that runs through a difficult mountain pass in the Valparaíso Region and allow more than 14,000 vehicles to go through them each day, with an average saving of 30 minutes as compared to the traditional route.

Regarded as one of the most advanced traffic and infrastructure management platforms in the world, In-Mova Traffic provides operators with real-time information on the vehicle flow, clearance issues, air quality and interior visibility of the tunnel and the fire detection systems. In addition, the control center manages the variable signaling system that informs users of the state of the roads, safety distances and speed limits. The solution incorporates an Automatic Incident Detection system (ADI) equipped with artificial intelligence to integrate the information supplied by the cameras installed throughout the site and facilitate a rapid and largely automated reaction to any incident.

Moreover, Indra has chosen the El Melón tunnels to implement its first free-flow toll system in Chile, a country which is a world leader in this kind of solution, enabling vehicles to pass through them without slowing down, thus reducing polluting emissions and fuel consumption. This technology, part of its Mova Collect line of toll-collection solutions, features laser and video sensors, short-range radio frequency communications and high-resolution image capturing, and uses Artificial Intelligence to improve license plate classification and recognition rates. The tunnels also have four conventional toll lanes.

Several highways in Mexico, including the Raised Bicentenary Viaduct, Aunorte, Supervía and the Puebla Raised Viaduct, and the corridors in Panama City already use Indra’s free-flow technology, one of the solutions that is being deployed in the pioneering project for the I-66 highway in the United States.

Technology for people

“The El Melón Tunnel is the perfect example of a major international project in which we can see the transformational effect of many of our most powerful technology solutions for traffic and infrastructures. At Indra we’re firmly committed to serving and helping our customers and developing the infrastructures and smart transportation in the country, but the ultimate goal of our solutions is to improve people's quality of life, together with their safety and well-being and the standards of the environment they live in”, explained Manuel López Villena, Director of Traffic and Infrastructures for Indra’s Mobility business.

The success of this project in Chile will enhance Indra’s position as one of the world’s leading smart mobility companies, with projects in countries such as the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Israel, the Philippines, Mexico and Colombia, among many others.

Indra has a unique track record in the transport industry with over 2,500 projects developed in more than 50 countries. Indra Mova Solutions for transport cover the entire life-cycle of a project and combine the new digital, integration, specialization, and innovation capabilities that the market demands, providing reliability, business knowledge, and transport technology offered by Indra and the unique wealth of experience of its team of professionals.

About Indra

Indra (www.indracompany.com) is one of the leading global technology and consulting companies and the technological partner for core business operations of its customers worldwide. It is a world-leader in providing proprietary solutions in specific segments in Transport and Defence markets, and a leading firm in Digital Transformation and Information Technologies in Spain and Latin America through its affiliate Minsait. Its business model is based on a comprehensive range of proprietary products, with a high-value, end-to-end focus and with a high innovation component. In the 2021 financial year, Indra achieved revenue of €3.390 billion, with over 52,000 employees, a local presence in 46 countries and business operations in over 140 countries.