Keeping Watch On The Bridge
The state of South Carolina plans to institute a new all-purpose surveillance system for the new Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge that will have the capability of monitoring traffic flow, weather conditions, and accidents on the bridge.
The new $16-million Intelligent Transport system features a series of traffic cameras, communications devices, speed sensors, and weather stations that have been placed on the bridge and along a 13-mile stretch of highway leading to the bridge.
The various technology devices will give drivers an idea of the driving conditions on the bridge and will provide officials with a way to assess how many vehicles are on the bridge or how many emergency response vehicles to send to an accident.
The system will feature 1,200 miles of fiber optic cable connecting various devices such as a dozen high-resolution cameras, four overhead message signs, 14 radar sensors, and two surveillance cameras beneath the bridge that will set off an alarm if a ship approaches too closely.
The cameras beneath the bridge were conceptualized as a defense against terrorism. Local law enforcement officials in several jurisdictions will be able to view the images provided by the cameras on the bridge. The high-resolution cameras have a range of 2,500 feet and provide a 360-degree view, with the capability of reading a license plate from a distance of half a mile.
However, law enforcement officials will not be allowed to use the cameras to identify drivers by their driver’s licenses or to target drivers for traffic violations.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from the Charleston Post and Courier (SC) (08/19/03) P. 1A; Vanegeren, Jessica.
