Skip to main content

TransCore to design and build I-66 active traffic management system

One of the most congested interstates in Virginia, US, is to get an Active Traffic Management (ATM) system. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has selected TransCore, a division of Roper Industries, to design and build its I-66 ATM system on northern Virginia’s main highway into the District of Columbia. The US$34 million contract is 90 percent federally funded and will support thirty-four miles of highway from the District of Columbia to Gainesville US-29 in Prince William County. The projec
February 15, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
One of the most congested interstates in Virginia, US, is to get an Active Traffic Management (ATM) system.  The 1747 Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has selected 139 Transcore, a division of 7018 Roper Industries, to design and build its I-66 ATM system on northern Virginia’s main highway into the District of Columbia.

The US$34 million contract is 90 percent federally funded and will support thirty-four miles of highway from the District of Columbia to Gainesville US-29 in Prince William County. The project is scheduled to be operational by the fall of 2014.

Due to limited right-of-way and construction funding, employing active traffic management technology can optimise mobility along the corridor by more effectively managing the congested conditions and increase safety, and reduce fuel consumption.

The active traffic management system will continuously monitor traffic and roadway conditions around the clock, collecting data using roadway monitoring equipment such as vehicle detection sensors and closed-circuit television cameras. The system will use such techniques as lane control signal systems, adaptive ramp metering, enhanced detection and camera systems, lane management systems, and queue warning systems. Active traffic management systems have been used throughout Europe for the last decade, but Transcore says this is a relatively new concept in the United States.

Benefits of the I-66 ATM system for motorists include: dynamic message and lane control signing advising motorists of incidents and delays by providing direction on lanes that are usable, and guidance on merging traffic; expanded use of shoulder lanes regardless of time of day in response to incidents and to manage traffic; improved monitoring of the roadway to provide quicker response by transportation, safety and law enforcement personnel.

TransCore, serving as prime contractor, will provide turnkey ITS design, construction, integration and testing services for the program. Once complete, operation of the system will be managed by the Virginia DOT Public Safety Transportation Operations Center.

“TransCore remains at the forefront of providing the most innovative intelligent transportation systems to improve trip reliability and maximise roadway capacity across our nation’s infrastructure,” commented Tim Fischer, TransCore’s senior vice president. “We’re pleased to support VDOT as it undertakes such a signature ITS project in the country."

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Iteris launches new statewide 511 traveller Info system in Virginia
    May 24, 2012
    Iteris has launched what is being claimed as one of the most advanced 511 traveller information systems in the US for the Commonwealth of Virginia. The deployment is part of a contract awarded to the company last September by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDoT) under its Transportation Video & Data Services project. Iteris team for this project includes Open Road Consulting, Skyline Network Engineering, and Global-5 Communications. The deployment involved a new state-of-the-art traveller inform
  • Nevada incident management project named ITS project of the year
    January 21, 2016
    The Intelligent Transportation Society of Nevada has named the Nevada Traffic Incident Management (TIM) 2015 Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Project of the Year by ITS Nevada in the under US$2 million category. Developed by engineering and construction firm Parsons, the state-wide project uses a multifaceted approach to provide incident responders throughout Nevada with TIM education, facilitation of crash debriefings, and joint operations policies. Parsons performed a variety of TIM tasks
  • Florida's high occupancy tolling success in reducing congestion
    July 18, 2012
    TransCore's David Sparks writes about the development of 95 Express, Florida Department of Transportation's new high-occupancy tolling facility. High-Occupancy Tolling (HOT) lanes are one of the most compelling uses of existing transportation infrastructure to expand capacity, particularly in major metropolitan areas which have limited right of way but need to relieve congestion. According to the Federal Highway Administration, while vehicle miles travelled have increased over 70 per cent in the past 20 yea
  • Siemens traffic solutions improve Amsterdam bottleneck
    July 9, 2013
    Solutions supplied by Siemens are helping to improve traffic conditions at the Coentunnel, one of the most heavily used traffic arteries in the Netherlands, used by 100,000 vehicles every day. The tunnel, which links Amsterdam to the province of North Holland, has been a cause of traffic congestion and delays for many years. A much-needed second tunnel opened in spring 2013, together with a three kilometre long elevated section of freeway connecting the tunnel with the southern part of the city to relieve t