The Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Advanced Transportation and Congestion Management Technologies Deployment (ATCMTD) program has earmarked $6 million to aid Nevada traffic congestion mitigation and road safety.
The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC), the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT), and partners would receive the funding allotment.
The scope of work involves expanding emerging technologies on Las Vegas freeways. The five-mile expansion would extend west of downtown Las Vegas between I-15 and Summerlin Parkway on U.S. 95 – which officials said serves as a critical corridor carrying approximately 230,000 vehicles each day.
The result will be bolstered safety through mitigated congestion, decreased crashes, reduced travel time, and increased overall freeway efficiency.
“It is essential that we prioritize safety and efficiency on the roadways that Nevadans rely on every day to get to work and home to their families,” Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) said. “This grant will fund emerging technologies on freeways in Las Vegas to improve traffic management, prevent car accidents, and inform first responders of incidents as quickly as possible. I’m proud to have advocated for this vital transportation funding, and I’ll continue to prioritize the safety of Nevadans across the state.”
Technologies slated to be implemented along U.S. 95 include wrong-way sensors immediately alerting drivers if they’re traveling in the wrong direction; occupancy detection sensors in HOV lanes that collect data to reduce congestion and emissions; and overhead signs warning motorists about incidents, speed reduction, and lane closures ahead to mitigate crashes resulting from sudden braking.