Optimal traffic control in freeway networks with bottlenecks

We consider optimally coordinated freeway traffic control for networks containing bottlenecks with capacity drop. Due to the multitude of traffic jams, and the spatial and temporal relationships between control actions and traffic behavior, this coordinated control problem is not as straightforward as for local control. The order in which the measures are applied may be relevant, or it may be possible that not all jams can be resolved. In that case the best possible locations of jams should be determined. We develop an approach that addresses these problems, where we use a generalized representation of flow-limiting control measures and bottlenecks. The approach supplies the necessary sequence of control actions and the necessary relocation of traffic jams to minimize the total time that vehicles spend in the network.