A hierarchical approach for splitting truck platoons near network discontinuities

•A hierarchical decision and control framework for cooperative platoons interacting with merging traffic efficiently.•A supervisory tactical strategy generates optimal vehicle order after the merge, new equilibrium gaps of cooperative vehicles at the merging point, and anticipation horizon that the platoon starts to act to track the new equilibrium gaps.•The lower-level operational layer gives the optimal vehicle accelerations so that new equilibrium gaps have been created when merging vehicles start to change lane and the transient maneuvers are efficient, safe and comfortable.•Robust framework against model parameter uncertainties and system delay.