ALDOT’s Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) provides information to motorists to help them make better travel decisions during severe weather events such as the approaching winter storm Cora.
Cora threatens to coat much of the state in snow and ice and produce widespread travel impacts when it arrives Friday, Jan. 9, and throughout the weekend. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning, and Gov. Kay Ivey today declared a state of emergency for 37 Alabama counties.
ALGO Traffic
Though ALDOT cautions against non-emergency travel, those who must travel should be aware of hazards they may face. Motorists can prepare by visiting algotraffic.com or downloading the ALGO Traffic app to get real-time travel information.
ALDOT North Region Traffic Systems Management and Operations (TSMO) Engineer Phillip Day said the Traffic Management Center (TMC) in Huntsville will remain staffed 24/7 throughout the event. TMC operators monitor road conditions and emergency responder activity. They then update ALGO to show confirmed incidents, such as crashes, and hazards, such as icy patches, that motorists may encounter. ALGO should also reflect any road closures implemented by law enforcement.
I-565 ITS improvements
An ongoing ITS expansion in Limestone and Madison counties is nearing completion. This $5.2 million project offers some new tools to TMC operators and motorists alike:
Cameras
Nine of the 11 new cameras installed on I-565 under the project are now powered and functioning. The live feeds are viewable on ALGO, allowing motorists to actually see current road conditions.
These are in addition to pre-existing feeds from cameras on I-65 in Morgan and Limestone counties, I-565 and US-31/SR-20 in Limestone County, and several locations on US-72/US-43, SR-20, and SR-133 in the Shoals area.
Overhead message boards
Another feature of the project is overhead message boards that can be changed remotely to display route-specific messages when needed. Two of these dynamic signs were recently installed on I-565 and are now functioning. Additionally, ALDOT is deploying portable message boards on roadsides across north Alabama to remind motorists to limit travel and reserve the inside lane for first responders.
Weather stations
The project also added two new weather stations on I-565. These devices, installed at key locations, provide ALDOT with information about weather and road conditions. ALDOT’s partnership with Baron Weather provides an extensive network of weather stations in addition to ALDOT’s own. ALDOT can also deploy mobile weather units to map conditions on a route while moving during winter weather operations.
TMCs are also located in Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, Montgomery, and Mobile to serve those regions of the state.
Additional tips for safer travel in hazardous conditions can be found here.
