BOCA RATON, Fla. — The Florida Department of Transportation is rolling out a new ramp signally system in Palm Beach County.
Starting Monday afternoon, on-ramp signals will operate on the Interstate 95 entrance ramps at Cypress Creek Road, Atlantic Boulevard and Palmetto Park Road. The lights will only be active during peak traffic hours and when there's significant congestion.
FDOT Operations Specialist Mairelys Gensler said the ramp lights will help alleviate traffic coming onto I-95. The technology is able to detect when there's an opening on I-95, thus controlling the flow of traffic.
"If you look at it from an individual perspective on the ramp, it seems like, 'I'm stopping, so how is this better?' But, overall, on I-95 the traffic will flow better," Mairelys said. "So, if you're trying to get from point A to point C, you're going to get there relatively faster, even if you stop at that ramp for a couple seconds."
When the light is on, cars will pull up to the white line and wait for the light to turn green. Once it does, one car can proceed onto the interstate. Unlike a typical stoplight, the red light should only last for a few seconds.
The Broward Regional Traffic Management Center will operate and adjust the signals as needed.
"We are really going to be all hands on deck, monitoring this, and looking over the data to make it as efficient as efficient as possible," Mairelys said.
The FDOT plans to install the lights at several more locations in Palm Beach County in the coming years.
