National Highways has penned an extension to its IT services contract with CGI for an additional five years as part of a programme to make better use of its vast data assets.

As part of the government-owned organisation’s Data Architecture and Engineering programme, CGI will provide services aimed at road users that harness huge data sets and ultimately minimise disruption.

National Highways is tasked with operating, maintaining and improving motorways and major A-roads in England. Its digital ecosystem generates data from roadside sensors, CCTV and smart motorway systems. This gathers information about millions of journeys on thousands of miles of motorway every day.

The organisations’ relationship will see CGI continue to work on the modernisation of the National Highways data backbone, with work including moving National Highways’ existing data onto a single digital platform, to improve the availability and usability of the data. 

This data, which National Highways believes is worth more than £60bn, can help to improve journeys, reduce disruption, and support freight and emergency response services.

Adam Locker, head of data architecture and engineering at National Highways, said: “Our data is one of our most valuable assets and plays a crucial role in how we operate and improve the network. This next phase will help us use our operational data in a more meaningful and timely way, supporting better decision-making and helping us share useful information with drivers. Ultimately, we want to make journeys easier and ensure our network continues to meet the needs of road users.” 

User-focused services being planned in the next phase of the National Highways data strategy include sharing real-time information on road closures and incidents through platforms such as Google Maps and Waze. It said this will help with journey planning and enable more efficient freight movement.

Kevin O’Neill, senior vice-president at CGI, which supports the project, said: “With CGI helping to combine and improve access to disparate data sources, National Highways can significantly enhance the road experience, minimising disruption across the entire network and modernising a vital part of our transport ecosystem.”

In 2021, the organisation, previously known as Highways England and earlier the Highways Agency, unveiled a five-year plan including data sharing to support the smooth running of the road network it manages. It set out its ambition to make use of intelligent asset management by harnessing data and technology to enable predictive asset management.

National Highways said it wanted the same data sources to be used across construction partners on all sites, providing a single source of the truth, which it said improves collaboration and delivery outcomes. The strategy also covers the regular use of digital rehearsal tools to rehearse construction site activities. According to National Highways, this results in more efficient delivery, improved safety and minimised customer disruption.

CGI has a track record working on organisational data strategies. It has had a 12-year relationship with the European Space Agency (ESA), which is helping improve scientific access to data about Earth sent from space.

Through its work on the Multi-Mission Algorithm and Analysis Platform (MAAP) within ESA’s Advanced Data Access and Processing Services for Collaborative Earth Observation Ground Segment, it provides scientists with access to NASA and ESA Earth biomass data. 

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