Upcoming Nighttime Closures: Sections of Westbound I-80 in Contra Costa and Alameda Counties To Facilitate Installation of Overhead Sign Frames and Electronic Signage As part of the I-80 SMART CORRIDOR/ I-80 Integrated Corridor Mobility (ICM) PROJECT FIRST CLOSURE SLATED FOR EARLY AUGUST 2014 OVERHEAD SIGN FRAME INSTALLATION: Beginning in early August 2014, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will initiate the installation of enormous overhead sign frames at eleven sites along westbound I-80 between Cutting Boulevard in Richmond and Powell Street in Emeryville. The sign frames will support new, sophisticated electronic signage, which, when activated in early 2015, will intelligently manage lane traffic and provide real-time traffic information to motorists traveling westbound along the I-80 corridor. The installation is part of the I-80 SMART Corridor Project, a larger network of improvements conducted in partnership with over ten other agencies and municipalities, and the first project of its kind in the state. These sign frames will be very visible to the motoring public. Caltrans and partner agencies are therefore conducting an extensive public outreach campaign to inform motorists and others about what to expect, beginning with key stakeholders like you. WESTBOUND NIGHTTIME CLOSURES: • The installations require a series of nighttime closures of westbound I-80, beginning with a closure at Carlson Boulevard in Richmond anticipated in early August. • During this work, lane closures will begin at 9 p.m. and end at 5 a.m. From 1 a.m. to 3 a.m., westbound traffic will be detoured to the local frontage roads nearest the installation location. • Subsequent closures will occur on Tuesday and Thursday nights (only) between the hours of 9 p.m. – 5 a.m. as the installations progress. • Please note that the installation and closure schedule is subject to change due to inclement weather and other variables beyond Caltrans control. Motorists will be kept informed through a project website and communications tools, as outlined below. PUBLIC INFORMATION: • Changeable Message Signs (CMS) will be deployed along the I-80 corridor to notify motorists of nighttime closures beginning in early August and lasting through October 2014. • A Motorist Advisory will be distributed to Bay Area media outlets, including traffic desks, assignment editors and others, via email. • Information will also be distributed to neighbors and stakeholders along the corridor via email. • In addition to traditional media outlets, Caltrans will use social media platforms to get the word out, and to provide updates on the closure schedule, if needed. • A project website dedicated to the I-80 SMART Corridor Project, 80smartcorridor.org, has been launched (full website to be built out over time), and web visitors will be encouraged to sign up for electronic updates. • A project hotline number (local: 510-253-2022, toll-free: 800-747-5031) has been activated; Caltrans will respond to voicemails promptly. • A project email address, [email protected], has also been established. ABOUT THE PROJECT: The purpose of the I-80 SMART Corridor Project is to enhance motorist safety and reduce traffic congestion on one of the busiest freeways in the Bay Area. Spanning multiple jurisdictions, I-80 is a major route for commuters and transit services and is crucial to the transport of goods into and out of the Bay Area. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), Alameda County Transportation Commission (Alameda CTC) and Contra Costa County Transportation Authority (CCTA), in cooperation with nine cities and two transit agencies, will optimize the use of the existing infrastructure within the corridor by implementing strategies to reduce congestion and travel time, provide real-time information to drivers and improve safety. The project will significantly reduce primary and secondary accidents, improve traffic flow along the corridor, integrate the interstate with local arterial systems and reduce cut-through traffic and driving times. All improvements are scheduled to be operational in the first quarter of 2015. As part of incident management, real-time information will be provided to motorists using electronic changeable message signs, variable advisory speed signs and informational message signs. Real-time traffic information will allow drivers to make better choices during their trip regarding route and mode to reach their destination. These improvements include Adaptive Ramp Metering (ARM) on 44 on-ramps to reduce merging conflicts; High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) bypass lanes at ramp meters; active management of traffic during freeway incidents; electronic variable advisory speed and changeable message signs; lane management on the freeway and coordinated traffic signal timing, including Trailblazer (wayfaring) signs on local streets to redirect traffic back onto the freeway past the site of an accident; bus priority at traffic signals and ramp meters; enhanced traveler information; and the coordinated monitoring and operation of all system components from Caltrans Traffic Management Center in Oakland. PROJECT STATUS & WHAT TO EXPECT IN THE COMING MONTHS: Completed: Caltrans has completed the installation of arterial wayfinding, transit prioritization signals and 44 ramp meters. These components will be activated along with the I-80 corridor systems in early 2015. Current: In addition to the installation of eleven overhead sign frames along the corridor, the current phase of construction includes the extensive testing of the accompanying electronic variable message, variable speed, lane use and other signs. When these signs come online in early 2015, they will help to streamline overall traffic and individual incident management on the I-80 corridor. Upcoming (Fall 2014): Additional nighttime closures will be required for software integration and nighttime sign testing along the I-80 corridor. Conceptual rendering of overhead sign frame With average daily traffic reaching 290,000 vehicles, the I-80 corridor is one of the busiest freeways in the Bay Area. The I-80 SMART Corridor Project, representing one of the most extensive Intelligent Transportation Systems in the state, is implementing technological solutions to enhance motorist safety, reduce congestion and improve travel time on I-80 between the Bay Bridge and Carquinez Bridge. Real-time traffic information, such as variable speed signs and blocked lane signs, will allow drivers to make informed decisions in the event of an incident. Additional improvements include real-time ramp metering on 44 on-ramps to reduce merging conflicts and manage traffic volumes on I-80 and its arterials. Once activated in 2015, these Adaptive Ramp Meters and real-time message signs along the corridor will contribute to optimized roadway operations and will be integrated with, and managed from, the Traffic Management Center at the Caltrans Bay Area headquarters in Oakland. The $80 million project is funded by the Corridor Mobility Improvement Account (CMIA) created by State Proposition 1B, approved by Californians in 2006 for transportation needs, the Contra Costa Transportation Authoritys Measure J half-cent sales tax and the Alameda County Transportation Commissions Measure B half-cent sales tax. Please visit 80smartcorridor.org for additional information, or call 1-800-747-5031. Follow #80SMART on Twitter for project updates.
Posted on: Fri, 08 Aug 2014 19:36:04 +0000
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