CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — No one enjoys sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic. That's why the City of Clarksville is teaming up with the state to "outsmart" its traffic problem.
Wilma Rudolph Boulevard, just off of I-24's Exit 4 in Clarksville, is one of the busiest state highways in Tennessee. If you've ever driven down the sprawling roadway, you know it's easy to hit almost every red light. "There’s not any synergy between one intersection to the next," admitted David Smith, the Clarksville Street Department Director.
Additionally, according to Clarksville Police and TDOT, there have been 800 wrecks along Wilma Rudolph Boulevard just in the last 12 months. Two people were killed and more than 100 were injured. In all, nearly 700 vehicles were damaged.
Smith thinks one way to change that is to make traffic lights smarter. "We won’t call them necessarily dumb signals, but we have signals that require a lot of manipulation to adjust for changing patterns," explained Smith.
By this Fall, 10 intersections, mostly along Wilma Rudolph but also a few on Warfield Boulevard and Madison Street, will have new technology that adjusts the traffic signal pattern in real time. "So when it starts to see an abundance of traffic coming from an area where it typically doesn’t, it changes signal timing to allow more of that traffic to traverse the area," said Smith.
Crews are also installing several new message boards along the same route. The footers for these large signs are already being installed, and the signs should be functional in the next few weeks. "Sometimes it’ll speak to commute times, other times it’ll speak to a detour or interstate closed, follow this route," said Smith.
Interstate closures were the big push behind this project and why the state of Tennessee and federal agencies are paying for 80% of the overall cost. Stakeholders wanted to improve traffic flow for instances when interstate commuters suddenly have to clog Clarksville streets because of a crash. "Alerting them immediately to -- Hey, this is your fastest route to avoid this detour," Smith told us.
Smith added, the dynamic signs could give faster updates than your typical GPS system. When traffic isn't an issue, the signs could show helpful reminders like THP's Click It or Ticket campaign.
The detour routes between Exit 11 and Exit 4 are getting this technology first, but Smith is excited to expand it to other intersections in the near future. "It’s a software that can be incorporated into 80-90 of the signals in town," he said. "Being able to have that adapt to real-world conditions is going to be great."
If this project goes well, the state of Tennessee could consider giving similar grant money to the most annoying intersections near you.
Do you think these technological advancements will help with traffic flow? Is this a wise use of your taxpayer dollars? I'd love to hear from you! You can email me at Chris.Davis@NewsChannel5.com.
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