Traffic management system along Virginia's I-66 aims to improve commute

VIENNA, Va. - The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has flipped a switch and turned on a multimillion dollar computer system aimed at clearing up traffic congestion on Interstate 66.

Officials say their high-tech equipment will adjust to real-time traffic conditions and also start opening up those red "X" shoulder lanes more often.

If you ask people what driving on I-66 is like, you will hear many complaints about delays and backups. But the solution to these problems is VDOT's new $38 million Active Traffic Management System that has now turned I-66 into a "smart road."

"We have added cameras throughout the corridor and traffic sensors," said VDOT spokesperson Michelle Holland.

Those sensors and cameras are installed on and in the road and will monitor traffic 24 hours a day.

If lowering the speed limit could help keep traffic moving, the "smart road" can let an engineer do it at the touch of a button.

Do the red "X" shoulder lanes need to open up to traffic when it is not rush hour? Well, the system can do that too.

"We can open that shoulder lane regardless of what day of the week it is or what time of day," said Holland.

You will also be seeing more electronic signs that change color, show what lanes are open, and will turn into speed limit signs when needed.

However, many drivers told us a long-term solution is needed and a permanent expansion is overdue. While many drivers may want a wider I-66, it does not look like that is coming down the road anytime soon.

This past spring, Virginia transportation officials said they are moving ahead with plans to add tolls to I-66 inside the beltway starting in 2017. That will mean HOV-3 lanes and tolls that change based on congestion. If that doesn't work, the possibility of widening this road remains, but there are a lot of political and financial hurdles to get over before that happens.

The new Active Traffic Management System will include: