Skip to main content

California DOT implements smart corridor

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) recently completed a smart corridor project on State Route 12 in Solano, Sacramento and San Joaquin counties, and I-5 in San Joaquin County. The project utilises intelligent transportation system (ITS) technology for five electronic message signs and four closed-circuit TV cameras to provide drivers with up to date travel information, enabling them to choose an alternate route in the event of congestion or roadway incidents.
October 14, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
The 923 California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) recently completed a smart corridor project on State Route 12 in Solano, Sacramento and San Joaquin counties, and I-5 in San Joaquin County.

The project utilises intelligent transportation system (ITS) technology for five electronic message signs and four closed-circuit TV cameras to provide drivers with up to date travel information, enabling them to choose an alternate route in the event of congestion or roadway incidents.

"This technology will make these highways safer for everyone and provide motorists real-time information they can use to make smart choices and steer clear of traffic incidents, roadwork, and bad weather," said Caltrans director Malcolm Dougherty.

This project is not Caltrans' first use of ITS technology to create smart corridors. Recent similar projects include a US$80 million project on I-80 in the Bay Area, which will better sync traffic signals with on-ramp meters and computerised highway signs to assist with rush hour traffic once completed; the San Mateo Smart Corridor project, in which ten San Mateo cities have partnered to deliver electronic message signs to guide drivers through detour routes during incidents, sensors to provide traffic volume information, and closed-circuit TV cameras to allow users to see traffic flow; and the creation of QuickMap, an ITS innovation that allows the public to access images from about 1,000 freeway cameras and see messages posted on more than 700 electronic highway message signs.

Related Content

  • June 9, 2017
    CTF award for Parsons’ I-80 SMART Corridor Project
    Parsons recently received the Operational Efficiency Project of the Year award from the California Transportation Foundation (CTF) for the I-80 SMART Corridor Project that uses Parsons’ intelligent transportation system technology to maximise safety and efficiency of one of the busiest transportation corridors in the Bay Area of California.
  • February 21, 2014
    Caltrans to focus on traffic management in 2014
    Although San Diego County may see a downturn new freeway infrastructure projects during 2014, many projects, from rail to highways and cycle paths, are still in the pipeline for 2014, according to the region's transportation planning agencies. Laurie Berman, district director for the regional office of the California Department of Transportation, said last week that Caltrans' focus is transitioning from general purpose lane expansions to more traffic management. The new direction is meant to provide trav
  • January 27, 2012
    Ramp metering delivers - again
    Though still controversial, ramp metering, which has been around for nearly 50 years, continues to deliver substantial benefits, and generally for relatively small cost. Kansas City is a case in point. In March 2010, Kansas City Scout, a partnership between the Missouri and Kansas Departments of Transportation to provide ITS for the greater Kansas City Area, activated the first ramp metering system in the region. The project is located on an 8.85km (5.5 mile) section of Interstate 435 from Metcalf Avenue to
  • October 27, 2020
    Heading the right way with Caltrans
    Wrong-way collisions are relatively rare – but they are often head-on and fatal. After recent studies, California DoT is reviewing its highway design standards