The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) completed a major traffic signal update to improve traffic flow and reduce congestion.
The changes have been implemented in phases since last fall. The initiative is an $11 million plan between ALDOT, Mobile County and the city of Mobile to make traffic smoother and safer for everyone.
The program has reached full capacity with its latest expansion bringing in all city of Mobile and Mobile County signals, according to ALDOT officials.
Officials said 682 traffic signals in Mobile County have been successfully connected and retimed on roadways like Airport Boulevard and Dauphin Street.
“Your total trip time has been reduced and that will get better,” said one of the traffic engineers. “That is some of what you might expect--it’s not a magic bullet. You’re not going to get every signal green. People might be a little frustrated. Still, it just depends on the time of day and the majority. We’re looking at what is the priority. We make decisions based on field observations.”
The initiative is far from over, however.
“There’s a total amount of $6 million going to detection upgrades across Mobile County” an engineer said. “We’re going to be putting up more PTZ camera to see what’s on the roadway, investigating complaints. We’ll continue to improve our timing plans- they start off as basic- every month, every season as we see the traffic pattern change.”
Source: ALDOT, WALA Mobile
