CLEVELAND — The Ohio Department of Transportation plans to install a new traffic camera system along Interstate 90 and State Route 176.
The new cameras will detect when backups are forming on popular roadways. The cameras will then send a signal to an ODOT control box, which will then send the information to message boards along the interstate.
The boards will flash a warning for a slowdown, a backup or an accident.
The new system will be integrated with the cameras already present along Interstate 90. This system and message boards will be completely new for State Route 176.
This camera system has already been installed in other parts of Ohio. ODOT said it's making a difference on the roads.
"What we've seen throughout the state is an 18 to 40% reduction in total crashes," Brent Kovacs, a spokesperson with ODOT District 12, said. "A reduction of 54% in near-miss crashes and also a 14% reduction in construction zone crashes based on this system. The system has a huge benefit for a relatively low cost of about $1.6 million."
Since State Route 176 is within city limits, the City of Cleveland needs to sign off before ODOT can begin installation along there.
ODOT hopes to begin the project in the fall, and crews should take about a year to get the new system up and running.
