Gyeonggi Province Introduces Black Ice Analysis System to Predict Icy Road Conditions

Gyeonggi Province is moving forward with building an analysis system as the first metropolitan government to prevent 'black ice on roads', a major cause of large-scale traffic accidents during winter.

Gyeonggi Province decided to proceed with an 'analysis system construction project to prevent black ice accidents on roads' that uses meteorological observation data from the Korea Meteorological Administration to predict icing risks by route in advance, and held a project launch briefing on the 8th with attendance from the director of the Construction Bureau, the head of the Road Safety Division, and private project engineers. At the launch briefing, the province held in-depth discussions on the direction of black ice analysis and prediction algorithm development and system integration standardization plans.

This project will invest a total of 128 million won using disaster funds prepared to prevent accidents and disasters, and will be conducted targeting 51 routes (4,349 km total) including local roads and national routes managed by Gyeonggi Province. The project is scheduled to begin in August and be completed by January of next year.

Once the system is established, real-time measured data of road surface temperature and weather forecast data such as temperature, humidity, and wind speed from the Korea Meteorological Administration will be combined and analyzed in real time to predict vulnerable points for icing by route in advance.

In particular, sections where black ice is likely to occur will be intuitively visualized on a map so road managers can visually observe them, and this information will be immediately shared with 31 cities and counties' snow removal departments in the province, enabling proactive and customized snow removal measures such as operating brine spray devices or pre-spreading de-icers. The system construction is expected to greatly contribute to reducing traffic accidents for road users by preventing black ice, a winter road hazard, in advance.

Bae Sung-ho, Director of the Construction Bureau of Gyeonggi Province, said, "Black ice on roads, called an 'assassin on the road' because it is invisible, requires proactive weather analysis and data-based response above all," adding "Through the construction of the analysis system, we will complete a scientific visualization snow removal system and create a safe road environment where residents can drive with confidence even during winter."