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The Green InterTraffic project: the results of implementation

At the end of March 2021, the implementation of the Russian-Finnish project "Enhancing environmental safety of road InterTraffic in the border areas of Russia and Finland applying innovation solutions" (Green InterTraffic) was completed. The project was implemented within the framework of the South-East Finland-Russia CBC Programme 2014-2020.

The project partners – Saint-Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Saint-Petersburg State University, Finnish Meteorological Institute, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Institute of Radar Meteorology, Transport Integration Ltd. – have done a lot of work and achieved significant results. All the planned activities that correspond to the main goals and objectives of the project were completed.

A wide range of measurements was carried out.

• Four seasons thermal mapping measurement of the road E18. The temperature profile of the road and forecast weather conditions along the road E18 were built.

• Air Quality measurements made with Vaisala's innovative AQT sensors. Based on the results of the measurements, the Air Quality Report "Air Quality Survey of the road E18 between Helsinki and Saint Petersburg" was prepared. Also, based on the data obtained, the Report on the Health Risk Assessment of Human Exposure to Ambient Air Chemical Emissions from Scandinavia Highway Traffic was prepared.

Within the framework of the project, Russian and Finnish partners have developed a unified approach to calculating greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants from vehicles using different types of fuel and energy. The Special Survey Special Survey on the comparison of the road traffic emission calculation methods in Russia and in Finland and the assessing the environmental load of the cross-border traffic was prepared, as well as the Manual of the Estimating Greenhouse Gas and other Air Emissions of the Road Traffic.

• Weather measurements. For the first time, the project organized a real-time exchange of weather data from 6 RWS (Road Weather Stations) on the part of Russia and 15 RWS on the part of Finland on a single digital platform. Applied by innovative methods for predicting precipitation, based on Doppler dual-polarization weather radar data, to inform the road E18 users about the start and end time of precipitation.

• Measurements using a mobile lidar complex to understand the formation of aerosol pollutions and their vertical distribution in the lower atmosphere. Due to difficulties in crossing the Russian-Finnish border, from COVID-19 the measurements were made only on the Russian side. But the statistical model was developed that describes the vertical distribution of the number concentration of aerosol particles, according to the available information, and the extrapolation of the initial data was carried out based on this model. The Report on the results of lidar measurements of atmospheric pollution by aerosol particles over the Scandinavia highway was prepared.

Based on the measurements, GIS tools were created, available online on the project website and open to all interested parties. GIS tools can be used when planning road maintenance, cargo transportation, travel, and other decisions.

Other important developments were the Green Roadmap and the Roadmap for the creation of an Intelligent Transport System for unmanned vehicles of the E18. To evaluate the activities proposed in the Roadmaps, a survey was conducted among Russian and Finnish companies participating in the project target group, the results of which are presented in the report.

The Educational complex "Methods for assessing pollution caused by road transport and approaches to reduce the environmental impacts", open to all interested parties, was developed. The pilot Training Course was conducted for representatives of the project target group, which, due to the circumstances caused by the COVID-19 new coronavirus pandemic, was held in an online format.

The Project Target Group includes representatives of Russian and Finnish companies - the cargo and passenger traffic operators, road management and maintenance services, tourism and environmental companies. Representatives of the target group got acquainted with the project developments, gave feedback, made suggestions, used and continue to use the project results in their activities.

The project partners conducted a number of surveys of representatives of Russian and Finnish companies, performed extensive analytical work and prepared a number of scientific articles on the topics being developed.

In order to combine the main results of the project, the Common Model of ecological status of Intertraffic with meteorological parameters was developed. The meaning of this work was to make a comprehensive study how the traffic safety and environmentally friendly road traffic can be supported.

The main results of the project were presented at two final events – the Russian-Finnish Session in sharing experience, which was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Finland, the FGI “North-West Road Management”, etc., and the Final Conference of the project, which brought together more than 50 participants from Russia and Finland.

* All the specified materials and developments on the project are available on the website https://en.greenintertraffic.ru/.