Digital message signs being installed throughout Interstate 75
LAKE CITY, Fla. (FOX 35 WOFL) - The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) says that if you are traveling on Interstate 75 over the next several weeks, expect to see large, digital message signs being installed as part of a $12 million FDOT project.
They hope that this project will assist motorists with current travel information and improve interstate communication for emergency responders.
The Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) project began in late 2016 and is currently in its second phase before its expected completion this summer. The project spans from Archer Road (State Road 24) in Alachua County to the Florida/Georgia Line.
The ITS project involves installing traffic cameras and vehicle detection sensors on the road. This allows emergency agencies to utilize enhanced technology to better detect traffic slowdowns and incidents. This information can then be passed along to motorists through digital message boards installed on the interstate and through the FDOT 511 system.
FDOT says that the first digital message sign was installed on southbound Interstate 75 in Columbia County on Monday. The sign displays are about eight-feet tall and 25-feet wide.
Additional signs are scheduled to be installed in Alachua and Columbia counties in the next coming weeks. The project will continue north to the Georgia line until all signs are installed.
FDOT says that once completed, the District 2 ITS system will consist of 101 detectors on an 86-mile stretch of roadway. There will also be 24 digital message signs and 95 cameras located on Interstate 75. The system will sync up with another project on Interstate 10, which is currently under construction and will run from Interstate 295 in Jacksonville to U.S. 90 in Leon County.
Installation of the signs will occur during daytime hours and will require a lane closure for crews to safely install the signs. Expected lane closures relating to this and all FDOT projects can be found HERE.