Located on the C-58 near Sabadell, the new stations provide the road operator with local, real-time weather data, helping to monitor conditions that may affect traffic and supporting decision-making at the control centre.
Weather has a direct impact on how a motorway is run. Heavy rain, strong gusts or a sudden drop in visibility can disrupt traffic within minutes, so reliable, up-to-date data is essential for effective road management. To meet this need, Darrera has installed three 3R AWS300 high-performance weather stations at different points along the C-58.
The stations are mounted on meteorological towers and share the same sensor configuration, providing consistent, comparable data across all three sites. Each is equipped with an ultrasonic anemometer, a temperature and humidity sensor housed in a radiation shield, a tipping-bucket rain gauge and a visibility sensor. The visibility sensor is particularly valuable in conditions such as fog or heavy rain, which can make driving more difficult. At each site, the rain gauge is mounted on its own mast, separate from the other sensors, in line with the recommendations and technical guidelines of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Spanish State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) for this type of instrument.
The stations are mains-powered, allowing continuous operation without the need for off-grid power systems. Data is transmitted via Ethernet to the road operator’s control system, where it is integrated with existing monitoring tools. This means control centre staff can check conditions at each location at any time, without the need for site visits.
The new infrastructure strengthens the operator’s ability to monitor conditions along the C-58, identify potentially adverse situations early and track how they develop. The data provides an objective basis for decisions made by the control centre and by operations and maintenance teams, helping to improve the response to heavy rain, low visibility and strong winds.
With this project, Darrera once again demonstrates its expertise in installing tailored weather solutions for critical infrastructure. The system combines weather instrumentation, data acquisition, communications and integration with the client’s control systems to meet the specific requirements of this application.