7 hours ago
Ramp metering traffic lights begin on I-96 in Oakland County
Traffic lights started operating on some entrance ramps to Interstate 96 in Metro Detroit Wednesday, providing directions that transportation officials call "ramp metering" at the merges.
The flex route area on I-96 opened in March between Kent Lake Road and the I-275/I-696/M-5 interchange in Oakland County. While this traffic setup is new to Metro Detroit, there already is a flex route on US-23 in Livingston and Washtenaw counties.
The ramp metering affects eight entrance maps along that area of I-96 between Novi and Milford roads, the Michigan Department of Transportation reported. The meters will start operation in yellow flash mode to remind drivers to be cautious.
But eventually, the lights will use the traditional green/yellow/red lights seen on intersetion traffic signals to indicate when oncoming traffic can take its turn. Drivers will have to stop at the pavement line, then proceed one at a time onto the ramp, when the red lights are active.
MDOT has posted a video on its YouTube channel explaining to drivers how ramp meters work.
"Ramp meters have been used in many other states to reduce crashes and improve travel times by controlling the flow of traffic entering the freeway. By breaking up platoons of entering traffic, the need for drivers already on the freeway to slow down is reduced and vehicles can merge more smoothly onto the freeway," MDOT says.
The above video originally aired on June 17.
