MOBILE, Ala. (WPMI) – The Alabama Department of Transportation’s Southwest Region is applying for two federal grants to increase ITS or Intelligent Transportation System operations on I-10, I-165, and I-65.

The money would come from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) discretionary grant program.

“Under the grant we will be able to install more vehicle detection devices that those would automatically detect those to let the operators to know to look at it a certain way,” said Regional Traffic Management Center Manager David Johnson.

The proposed Southwest Alabama Region Mobility and Safety project would place ITS operations along 66 miles of I-10, and more than 20 miles of I-65 and I-165.

“ITS is intelligent transportation systems, and it would increase our fiber optic network along I-10 and I-65 which would allow us to install more cameras,” said ALDOT Assistant Region Engineer Matthew Ericksen. “More fire optic and more digital message boards that would give our traveling public additional information.”

If ALDOT is awarded the funds, the system will extend the system across state lines travelling from New Orleans to Florida state lines. The system will be able to warn drivers of road conditions and accidents with digital message boards.

“It would allow us to provide more real time traffic information,” said Johnson.

This information is vital when accidents occur on the busy interstate.

Johnson said, “It will allow our first responders to get to the incident quicker and limit and reduce our response time.”

ALDOT officials said accident alerts will give the driver time to find another route to their destination.
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