PennDOT Receives Grant For Adaptive Traffic Lights On McKnight Road
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - There could soon be hope for traffic-plagued McKnight Road.
Enter PennDOT's long planned, and now funded $900,000 project to remove the "mare" from "McKnightmare" Road by putting in adaptive traffic signals at 11 of the busiest intersections.
The new lights will be able to monitor traffic flow and make adjustments based on the time of day and how many cars are traveling down the road. It's a system that uses cameras, radar, and sensors to count vehicles second by second.
"As traffic increases, the signal system will respond to that and automatically adjust so there won't be any substantial delays on McKnight Road," said Todd Kravits, P.E., PennDOT District 11 traffic engineer.
The lights will also be connected to PennDOT's Regional Transportation Management Center in Collier Township.
In addition to the new, high-tech lights, 10 traffic cameras will be installed, along with a sign that can display travel alerts and other messages.
Rhythm Engineering, a company based in Kansas, will help with the installation.
They've installed adaptive cameras and other equipment in 74 cities across the United States. The systems can help reduce traffic by more than 80 percent.
The same company installed a traffic light system in the Wexford Flats on Route 19. Project organizers hope the new cameras will offer the same success on McKnight Road.
The stretch of the road between the Parkway North and Perrymont Road is traveled by an average of 30,000 vehicles each day.
The project is set to kick off later this year or early next year. Officials say the changes should be in place by the end of 2016.
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