A tunnel control room cannot simply be shut down for a refurbishment. Camera feeds, equipment states, emergency calls and traffic messages have to be handled throughout the construction phase. Under exactly these conditions, the ASFINAG monitoring centres in Bruck and Plabutsch were modernized. Together with our partner PKE Verkehrstechnik, controlrooms delivered the new operator positions, the video wall installation and the visualization technology, all while the centres stayed fully operational.
ASFINAG coordinates its motorway and expressway network from nine traffic management centres. Bruck and Plabutsch serve as tunnel control rooms. In these centres, technical installations and the current traffic situation must remain clear and operable around the clock. Replacing individual devices was therefore not enough. Room layout, workstations, sightlines, visualization and switchover had to be planned as one system.
More control technology needs usable screen and desk space
As the control technology software was standardized across Austria, the demands on the workstations grew with it. More functions and additional information mean one thing above all in a traffic management control centre: more screen area available at the same time, clear priorities, and operator positions that stay readable as the volume of information increases.
The existing rooms in Plabutsch had reached their spatial and ergonomic limits. Renewing the equipment alone would have brought new technology, but neither better sightlines nor more usable working area. What was needed was a full refurbishment with a new room and operating concept, a typical task when modernizing a control room during live operation.
The decisive challenge: rebuilding during live operation
Throughout the entire construction phase, the ability to monitor and act had to be preserved. The modernization was therefore split into two clearly separated steps.
1. Interim control room in the meeting room. Before the refurbishment began, controlrooms set up a fully functional temporary control room in the existing meeting room. On a smaller footprint and with fewer monitors, it provided the functions required for safe continued operation.
2. Refurbishment and reorientation of the control room. Once operations had been switched to the interim setup, the existing centre could be rebuilt from the ground up. The room was restructured and the orientation of the control room turned by 180 degrees. This created better sightlines, more usable room depth and additional space for the new control technology.
The interim solution was not a side note but the operational precondition for the rebuild. Only when the transitional setup works can a 24/7 centre be modernized without unnecessary risk.
Ergonomics: designed for long shifts
In a control room, technology alone does not determine the quality of operations. Monitor positions, viewing angles, reach zones, lighting and the feel of the room all influence how reliably information can be taken in and processed over many hours.
“I always put it this way: it is a bit of a living room for us, and you should feel comfortable in your living room.”
Martin Rapit, Team Leader Operations for AVB (Facilities and Traffic Operations), ASFINAG — translated from German
ASFINAG staff were therefore involved in the room and colour design. After the rebuild, larger screens, more monitor area and ergonomically aligned operator positions are available. The additional space also creates reserves for further operating and visualization tasks. According to the project video, this included the full integration of the S7 route section.
Visualization: one situational picture instead of many separate details
In a tunnel control room, camera images, traffic data and equipment states have to be readable at the same time. A large display area alone is not enough. What matters is a sensible arrangement, clear priorities and good legibility from every relevant workstation.
controlrooms carried out the video wall installation and supplied the Barco LCD technology. The visualization was designed for continuous operation and for what the operators actually need.
Cooperation across trades
In a refurbishment within an existing building, construction, electrical engineering, control technology, furniture and visualization interlock directly. Interfaces have to be clarified early and deviations in the construction sequence resolved together.
“It was always a partnership-based collaboration, very solution-oriented. Even when problems came up during construction, we always found the right context to resolve them competently and as equals.”
Stefan Wurm, Project Manager, ASFINAG Baumanagement Gesellschaft — translated from German
The cooperation between ASFINAG, PKE Verkehrstechnik and controlrooms was thus an essential part of the technical solution: clear responsibilities, short lines of coordination, and a shared understanding that operations come first.
Project video on Plabutsch, published on the PKE Gruppe channel.
Project data at a glance
- Projects: monitoring centre Bruck and traffic management and monitoring centre Plabutsch in Graz
- Client: ASFINAG Baumanagement Gesellschaft / ASFINAG Facilities and Traffic Operations (AVB)
- Project partners: PKE Verkehrstechnik and controlrooms GmbH
- Scope by controlrooms: control room furniture, consoles, video wall installation and Barco LCD technology
- Operating requirement: modernization with full operational capability maintained, 24/7
- Highlights: interim control room in the meeting room, refurbishment within the existing building, control room turned by 180 degrees and, according to the project video, integration of the S7 route section
What operators can take away from this project
A control room modernization does not begin with choosing new monitors. First it must be clear which functions have to remain available during every construction phase, how the switchover is handled, and which dependencies exist between room, technology and organisation.
Three points were decisive for Bruck and Plabutsch: an interim control room set up before the refurbishment, a room concept that makes sightlines and additional screen area genuinely usable, and cross-trade planning with clear responsibilities.
Making control room modernization plannable
controlrooms combines workstation and room planning, control room furniture, visualization and service into one coordinated solution. That reduces interfaces and creates a solid basis for rebuilds during live operation. Planning a modernization without interrupting operations? Talk to us about your situation, interim setup and switchover concept.
Visit our showroom in Vienna Prater or Wieselburg
Technology for control rooms, command centers and KVM workspaces is best evaluated live. In the controlrooms showroom we demonstrate video walls, KVM, operator desks and typical 24/7 scenarios working together in real conditions — from visualization through KVM to the 24/7 workspace.
Appointments by arrangement. controlrooms GmbH supports you with analysis, planning, integration and ongoing service.
Frequently asked questions about modernizing tunnel control rooms
How does a tunnel control room stay operational during a rebuild?
Through an interim control room planned and commissioned in advance. In Plabutsch it was set up in the meeting room. On a smaller footprint it covered the functions required for safe continued operation during the refurbishment.
Why was the control room turned by 180 degrees?
The new orientation opened up more room depth and improved the sightlines to the additional monitor areas. Simply renewing the equipment would not have solved the spatial limits of the existing room.
What did controlrooms deliver in Bruck and Plabutsch?
The scope covered control room furniture, consoles, the video wall installation and Barco LCD technology. The work was carried out together with PKE Verkehrstechnik.
How long does such a refurbishment take?
That depends on the room, the existing technology, operational requirements and the construction sequence. What matters most is the preparation: which functions the interim setup must cover, how the switchover is handled and in which order the trades work.