Date:  Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Contact: Meghan Soptich Pembroke, WSDOT Communications, 206-440-4704 (Seattle)
Mike Swires, WSDOT Traffic Engineer, 206-440-4415 (Seattle)

SULTAN – Drivers headed out on US 2 now have another way to see how traffic is moving on the corridor. WSDOT recently installed and activated three new cameras on US 2 in Sultan at the intersections of Old Owen Road, 5th Street/Mann Road, and Sultan-Basin Road. The cameras provide a real-time view of conditions on highway.

The new cameras are part of an extensive network of closed-circuit television cameras in place across the state to help monitor congestion and spot collisions.

“We know a lot of drivers use our traffic cameras to help plan their trips,” said Mike Swires, Snohomish area traffic engineer. “Drivers can now get accurate and up-to-date information about what to expect on US 2 through Sultan.”

Crews connected the cameras to WSDOT’s traffic management center in Shoreline and made them available online just in time for the busy Memorial Day holiday weekend. Summer brings higher traffic volumes on US 2 as drivers flock to fairs, festivals, campgrounds and destinations on the east side of the state. Drivers can use the traffic cameras to “know before they go” and better prepare themselves to travel US 2.

New technology means better traffic flow and more information for US 2 drivers

Before the end of the year, US 2 drivers will see several more improvements designed to improve traffic flow and provide more information both online and on the road. Crews are working to synchronize signals on US 2 in Monroe, Sultan and Gold Bar and connect them to WSDOT’s signal network. This will allow engineers to make changes to the signals remotely in the event of a collision or during heavier-than-normal traffic. Crews are on track to complete the work this summer.

In addition to the new cameras in Sultan, WSDOT is installing two cameras on US 2 in Monroe at Fryelands Blvd and 179th Avenue SE. The cameras should be available online by this fall. In Monroe and Skykomish, WSDOT will replace the existing electronic message signs with new, slightly larger signs.

Also in Monroe, crews will connect the existing highway advisory radio sign near Fryelands Blvd to WSDOT’s new fiber optic network in Monroe. Connecting the sign will allow engineers to activate the sign remotely.

“These are all low-cost fixes that will have real benefits for drivers on US 2,” said Swires. “We can improve traffic flow by operating US 2 more efficiently and we can help drivers make choices about their travel by providing them with accurate, timely information.”

The improvements were initiated as part of the US 2 Traffic Safety Corridor project. This community-led effort focuses on targeted enforcement, engineering and education efforts to reduce fatal and disabling collisions on US 2 between Everett and Stevens Pass. WSDOT worked with the community on the US 2 Traffic Safety Corridor project from spring 2008 to spring 2010.

While it’s too early to determine the full effects of the two-year project, engineers expect to have initial results by fall 2010. WSDOT will continue to monitor collision rates along the corridor during the coming years. For more information on the project, visit http://www.us2drivesafe.org/.

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