Austrian SWARCO Group keeps Dutch road and waterway infrastructure up-to-date

The internationally active traffic technology group SWARCO based in Wattens near Innsbruck has a long track record in the Netherlands. SWARCO LED variable message signs, traffic controllers, roadside units, and infrastructure-to-vehicle communication solutions are just a few technologies appreciated both by Dutch system integrators and Rijkswaterstaat over the past three decades. Since 2010, SWARCO Nederland has been acting as a system integrator in traffic management from its premises in the Schiphol Airport Business Park in Lijnden. Dutch distributor Coateq provides durable SWARCO pavement marking systems with superior nighttime visibility for roads and motorways and also for indoor use in parking facilities.

“In autumn 2021, SWARCO accomplished the largest acquisition in the company’s history by taking over Dynniq Mobility, headquartered in Amersfoort, and comprising a total of 39 locations in the Netherlands, the UK, Ireland, Finland, Belgium, Poland, Croatia, Denmark, Sweden and Lithuania”, said SWARCO corporate spokesman Richard Neumann. A complementary footprint in terms of product portfolio, service offering and market penetration, and a very similar corporate culture and organizational setup help facilitate the merger process. The company has a strong market position in the fields of urban and interurban traffic management and public lighting, as well as considerable expertise in managing large infrastructure projects. The acquisition of Dynniq Mobility added roughly 1,100 colleagues to the SWARCO Group and revenues exceeding 200 million euros. In 2022, a considerable amount of work was invested in the rebranding of Dynniq to the SWARCO umbrella brand and in the harmonisation of the products and systems portfolios.

Let’s have a look at some examples where you encounter SWARCO’s expertise in the Netherlands.

In the oldest city of the Netherlands, Nijmegen, SWARCO is replacing the traffic light controllers in accordance with Nijmegen’s regular replacement schedule for intelligent traffic light controllers. Customer Nijmegen City was looking for a way to get the traffic movements as quiet as possible and optimize traffic flow. SWARCO installed three instead of six traffic control machines, each controlling traffic on two feeder roads. The dispensers are connected via fibre optics. In addition, the iVRIs are linked to intersections before and after Keizer Karelplein. With traffic control application ImFlow, traffic movements are more ‘tranquil’ and the overall flow and road safety is improved. The new application also gives the municipality the right tools to optimize traffic flow for specific groups of road users, such as emergency and auxiliary services or cyclists.

Over the coming years, the aim is to replace 8 traffic light controllers each year. After implementation, SWARCO is responsible for the maintenance over the next 15 years.

In the capital city, Amsterdam, SWARCO is working on the largest public lighting conversion to LEDs in the Netherlands.

Over 50,000 lamps, internal-, or entire luminaires need to be replaced in a 1.5-year period. Over the past few months, SWARCO managed to replace the first 17,000 light points that differ by their type, from canal towers with unusual crown fittings, lanterns in the middle of the tramway or Dam Square to lighting on feeder roads of motorways. Public lighting has an important impact on the liveability and safety of a city and positive effects for its energy bill. 

Born

Since 2019, SWARCO, together with Mourik Infra, have been carrying out fixed and variable maintenance in the fields of electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and industrial automation for almost all objects in the Maas and the Maas canals. Now, as a premiere in the Netherlands, the company has also equipped the first lock complex along the Maas with smart LED lighting. This provides additional energy savings of about 13-20%. Due to the success of the pilot for our customer Rijkswaterstaat, we will be equipping all lock complexes along the river Maas with smart LED lighting over the next two years.

In 2023, the major runway at Maastricht Aachen Airport will be renovated to prepare the airport for the expected traffic load for the next 20 years. The runway is 2,750 metres long and 45 metres wide, which means that any disturbance immediately leads to stagnation in the airport's operations.

SWARCO is carrying out the electrical engineering work during the renovation, replacing the entire runway lighting, including necessary cabling, sockets and transformers. Halogen luminaires on the taxiway will be replaced by new, more durable LED luminaires and new road holding lights and illuminated signs will be installed. Together with Dura Vermeer, the renovation will be completed within only seven weeks, as downtimes must be minimzed for the airport.

Since 2010, a SWARCO specialist Competence Centre has been carrying out projects and long-term management and maintenance at Dutch airports. At Rotterdam The Hague Airport, Lelystad Airport, Schiphol Airport and Groningen Airport Eelde, the company demonstrated extensive experience and knowledge of processes and electrical aspects of airports. Within these projects, SWARCO contributes consultancy, design, engineering, project management, installation, commissioning, maintenance, and asset management.