First ramp meter in Colorado Springs officially goes live
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Starting Monday, the Colorado Department of Transportation is launching a new way to enter Interstate 25 for Colorado Springs commuters.
Twelve traffic signals are being installed at 12 different ramp locations. The signals will stagger cars merging onto the freeway, which should help ease traffic during peak times on I-25.
The first signal of the bunch just went live on Monday at the northbound on-ramp at S. Academy Boulevard.
The rest of the signals will be eased in over a two-month period.
“The goal is to improve safety as well as mobility along the interstate and allow for eased access of merging onto the interstate,” said Michelle Peulen with the Colorado Department of Transportation.
The state of the art ramp metering devices will make the road safer by improving traffic flow and by providing more gaps for merging traffic. This new metering goes above and beyond any other system in the state.
“This technology includes sensor loops in the concrete that will be able to determine exactly how long the queue on the ramp is, what rate of speed the interstate is moving, what weather conditions are, and they will be responsive to all of those factors,” said Peulen.
And even though they carry a $3.3 million price tag, CDOT says that by installing ramp metering signals it will provide a cost-effective solution to increase traffic flow without increasing lanes of travel.
“We can’t just continue to widen the road, so this is a cost-effective way to address congestion,” said Peulen.
The metering system runs from S. Academy all the way up to the N. Nevada Ave. exit. However, each light will need to be tested before it can be activated.
Peulen said, “Each ramp around I-25 is different -- each ramp has a different length and each ramp has a signal in a different place. As we move with making those ramps operational, each one will go through somewhat of a testing cycle to make sure we have those sensors acting as we should.”
The lights will go on during peak commuter times, weather delays, and even in response to crashes. These lights will be able to determine when they need to be activated to better help ease traffic.
