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SNELLVILLE: The Georgia Department of Transportation has incorporated into the upcoming median safety project numerous technology enhancements requested by the Highway 78 Community Improvement District. These enhancements will result in reduced congestion, improved mobility, lower maintenance and repair costs, and a more attractive corridor.

Marion Waters, Director of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and Traffic Engineering at Gresham Smith & Partners, the consulting firm working with both the Georgia DOT and Hwy 78 CID says, “The realistic foresight, progressive vision and community leadership provided by your organization (the Hwy 78 CID) is evident by the many improvements being made along the corridor for a thriving and viable community. The economic benefit to the businesses along the route is just one of the many successes being experienced as a result of your efforts.”

Among the technology enhancements included along the corridor are decorative support poles and mast arm assemblies for thirteen signalized intersections. Each intersection will also include lighted street signs that will improve motorist’s perception of cross street names, reducing confusion and improving nighttime visibility.

Another technological upgrade is the inclusion of video detection traffic sensors rather than traditional in pavement loops. The use of video detection will result in lower maintenance costs for Gwinnett County and fewer disruptions to traffic for installations and repairs. Further, reprogramming of the detection zones to accommodate new traffic patterns and specific detection needs for changes to signal operations can be made with no disruption to traffic.

As another benefit of the efforts of the Highway 78 CID, the Georgia Department of Transportation has made the decision to upgrade the interconnection of the traffic signals along the 78 corridor to a fiber optic cable system. Fiber optic cable interconnects will provide more reliable service, and enable the use of a permanent traffic monitoring system supplying real time traffic volumes and congestion information to both Gwinnett County for the traffic signal operations and to the Georgia NaviGAtor Intelligent Transportation System. The enhanced system will include the replacement of the existing obsolete and mostly non-functioning traffic surveillance cameras and the installation of several new cameras for critical areas. It will also include permanent traffic monitoring systems for volume and average traffic speeds. The new systems will provide both Gwinnett County and GDOT the ability to dynamically adjust signal timing for the optimization of traffic progression and to advise motorists of traffic conditions via the internet and other communications methods.

Hwy 78 CID Board Chairman Forrest Adair says, “Though many of these technological enhancements are invisible, seamless improvements, this investment will result in a noticeable reduction in congestion and lower operating and maintenance costs.”

Image above is conceptual and is not an approved installation.