When adaptive traffic mechanisms are operational on two highly traveled roadways in Sioux Falls, get ready for some adjustments on how the signals act.

Principal Traffic Engineer Heath Hoftiezer says A good estimate for the technology to be fully ready would be mid to late April. When that happens, Hoftiezer says drivers will have to get used to how the system operates.

“The biggest thing for the public to be aware of is that it’s not always the same everytime down the road. Some of the intersections have some flexibility to have a left turn at the start of the phase or the end of the phase. The system is looking at how the traffic’s approaching and it will optimize those things as it’s trying to come up with the best patterns.”

Hoftiezer explains what types of changes are coming by highlighting the busiest intersection in the city and how left turns could be different.

“Right now it’s pretty set on the order that they cycle through. If the (new) system sees an optimized pattern where a (protected left turn) will get the traffic going faster then follow it with another left turn, then it might run different than the phase before.”

Work has already begun with the installation of the technology that will improve traffic flow on 41st Street from Minnesota Avenue west to Marion Road and on Minnesota Avenue from 18th Street south to I-229.

Similar technology was added to three years ago on 26th Street from Van Eps to Highline Avenue which has proved to reduce travel time, vehicle crashes and fuel consumption.


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