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Spain's first AI-powered traffic lights are coming to one of Orihuela Costa's busiest roundabouts
The €409,000 system at the Punta Prima roundabout on the N-332 uses machine learning to manage traffic in real time
Spain's first AI-powered traffic light system is about to go live at the notorious Punta Prima roundabout at kilometre 52.8 of the N-332, on the border between Torrevieja and Orihuela Costa, and it could be fully operational as early as next week.
The €409,000 project, funded through the EU's Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, has been in the installation phase since March 31, with workers carrying out the work overnight to avoid adding to the already considerable traffic disruption in the area.
Drivers passing through at the moment will have noticed four amber lights already in place at the roundabout's entrances. Once the system goes live, those lights will start doing something rather more sophisticated.
The AI system uses cameras, machine learning and neural networks to monitor traffic density in each lane in real time and adjust the light cycles accordingly, rather than operating on a fixed timer regardless of how busy each approach is. The idea is that the roundabout essentially manages itself, adapting constantly to whatever traffic conditions it's dealing with at any given moment.
It's being treated as a novel experiment, as this type of technology hasn't previously been incorporated into Spain's state road network. The Ministry of Transport has been clear that the project is as much about gathering data and building practical experience as it is about fixing the immediate problem.
And it is a major problem. This section of the N-332 around Punta Prima carries an average of 45,000 vehicles a day, a figure that climbs considerably during the summer months. The roundabout is a particular bottleneck for residents of Rocío del Mar and Señorío de Punta Prima, where ongoing construction has added even more traffic to an already strained junction.
Whether AI proves to be the answer remains to be seen, and most locals still argue that what the Torrevieja bypass really needs is more lanes rather than smarter lights, with a dual carriageway upgrade that's been on the drawing board for more than 15 years.
Image: Google Maps
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