Towards Connected Road Traffic Control: A V2X Approach to Dynamic Lane Management

Traffic congestion affects both urban and interurban roads, harming economic efficiency and sustainability. Hard Shoulder Running (HSR) has been implemented to enhance highway capacity. However, its effectiveness is constrained by diminished driver awareness resulting from the suboptimal performance of Variable Message Signs (VMSs). This study explores how Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) and Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) technologies can enhance HSR utilization and highway performance. Focusing on the A4 Turin-Venice Italian highway, this work includes experimental measurements on radio propagation and a design study on the Road Side Unit (RSU) deployment. The benefits provided by the use of C-ITS for dynamic lane advisory on the vehicles, is assessed by simulating traffic conditions along the Milan's urban corridor of the A4 highway (one of the most congested in Europe) using a professional microsimulation, calibrated on real traffic data with varying V2X adoption rate at vehicles. Results show that V2X technology significantly improves traffic flow, particularly during peak congestion. The study underscores the importance ofC-ITS in future smart road infrastructure and traffic management.