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Variable Speed Limit Test Program Ends
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(Friday) February 19, 2010
Permanent 55 mph Speed Limit Restored in Area; Report on Key Findings Anticipated in Spring 2010
As most of the work on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project draws to a close, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is concluding its pilot program to regulate traffic flow on the Capital Beltway in the vicinity of the Telegraph Road Interchange. The pilot program officially ended yesterday, and all Variable Speed Limit (VSL) equipment is currently being removed from the area.
Results from the VSL test program presently are being assessed. A final report, which will examine the program’s effectiveness in improving traffic flow, reducing travel time and promoting safety, is anticipated this spring.
The speed limit throughout the project corridor has been restored to 55 mph. Over the next few weeks, the VSL program’s variable message signs (VMS) that display the speed limit will be replaced with standard 55 mph work zone signs; other VMS signs showing estimated travel times also will be removed. With the removal of VMS signs and deactivation of detectors, the Project will no longer predict traffic delay times in the corridor.
VDOT debuted VSL in late July 2008 as a test program to assist drivers approaching the reconstruction of the Telegraph Road Interchange. By gradually regulating the speed of vehicles approaching a reduction in lane capacity, the purpose of VSL was to enable more vehicles to pass through a constricted area in a safe manner. The system was also designed to empower motorists with real-time information about traffic conditions, enabling them to modify travel routes, times and modes.
Initially deployed only when construction required lane closures, VSL was expanded in May 2009 to full-time use.
Specially trained VSL officers housed at the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Operations Center oversaw the system as it utilized roadway sensors to determine optimal speed limits to keep traffic moving, with minimum speeds of 35 mph and maximum speeds of 55 mph. Drivers were informed of varying speed limits, which changed in five to 10 mph increments, through the variable message signs posted on the seven-mile portion of I-95 between the Springfield Interchange and the Maryland shore.
Go to www.wilsonbridge.com for the latest project and traffic information.
