Tucson Freeway News

On the outside new Arizona Department of Transportation's operations building is nondescript. However on the inside it is buzzing with strategies to keep the traffic moving once the I 10 expansion takes full swing in June
ADOT will be able to respond quickly to traffic situation once the on and off ramps between Prince and 29th are closed this Summer
As people adjust to new traffic patterns and new routes, workers inside the center will be able to observe changing traffic flows along the entire five-mile corridor.
City traffic signals at the intersections between the frontage road major cross-streets will be able to be adjusted according to traffic patterns.
In the event of a major accident the ADOT will be able to  send the right services to respond to the incident and quickly clear the area.
There are 10 50-inch television screens on a wall of the operations center. The screens will show live images transmitted from traffic cameras on  the frontage road and I-10  intersections. There are two men  that operate the system which will use panning cameras to get different views, and also  zooming in for detail. 
In the same area there is  a conference room is set up with Internet access, 16 phone lines, a computer and another giant television.
The new center has about 19 miles of fiber-optic cables to make it all work.  It was put into trial mode for the first time Monday morning and  it will be staffed for at least 13 hours a day until all the testing is complete.
Before the exit closures begin June 15, it will be staffed 24 hours a day, with an engineer on call and always on site during morning and evening weekday rush hours.
The computer system at the location is linked with ADOT's statewide system, this in turn  connects to the cameras on  the frontage roads and I-10. It is also linked to the city of Tucson's traffic system, to enable changes to city traffic signals. 
Employees  also will be able to change the electronic message boards  installed on both sides of the project.  This will help get necessary information to motorists as soon as possible.
Contractors are currently operating the center, but at the end of the widening project, it will be owned  adn operated by ADOT.
This kind of technology is about 15 years old, though it is constantly updated, said Michael Wendtland, a project manager for ITS Engineers, which is operating the system.

Cities in California and New Mexico also use the technology for roadway monitoring.

 Information to the public will be provided  via www.az511.com, where you can check roadway conditions or see images from the traffic cameras.