Actual travel times along the M1 Dublin to Border-Belfast corridor will be displayed from Friday January 11 as part of a joint project with the NRA and Northern Ireland Roads Service funded by the EU.

As part of the pilot programme Individual Variable Message Signs (VMS) will inform drivers of the travel times from the location of that particular sign to the next two primary destinations covered by the system.

The information displayed will relay the actual travel times to Dublin Port Tunnel Junction 1, Dublin Airport Junction 2, Drogheda Junction 9 (Northbound) / Junction 10 (Southbound) and Dundalk Junction 16.

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Travel times are calculated in real-time using roadside mounted automatic number plate recognition cameras. Average travel times (discounting unusually slow or fast vehicles) are calculated and displayed every five minutes.

In the future the VMS system will allow for the notification of incidents, events, closures and severe weather notifications. It is also planned that this information will be made available through SMS (text messages) and email.

Fred Barry CEO, NRA, said: "We are looking forward to the feedback from the public on this pilot program."

The system will be complemented by the NRA's Traffic Information Site www.nratraffic.ie providing users with those travel times plus additional information online to allow for pre-trip planning.

(GK/JM)