A $3.2 million project to modernize traffic signals along U.S. 98 between Spanish Fort, Daphne and Fairhope is still working through equipment problems more than a year after installation began, but state transportation officials say they expect the system to be fully operational by Memorial Day.
The Alabama Department of Transportation gave an update on the adaptive signal system to the Eastern Shore Metropolitan Planning Organization recently, reporting that some of the roadside electronics meant to detect approaching traffic have not worked as designed, and the software that is supposed to adjust signal timing to real-time conditions has not yet collected enough reliable data to run at peak efficiency.
ALDOT engineer Brian Aaron told the MPO that the setbacks are typical for this kind of technology rollout. “[The problems] aren’t unique to this project,” he said. “With any lighting or signaling project, you have a burn-in or a test period to make sure they are up and working, but we found a couple of components that were not functioning, so we’re working with our contractor to replace those with new components.”
The Eastern Shore system is modeled on a similar adaptive signal network already running along Alabama 59 in Gulf Shores, where it has been credited with extending green lights for beachbound and outbound traffic during peak travel periods and helping vehicles move through several intersections without stopping by syncing signal timing to actual traffic speed.
Aaron said the Gulf Shores system has shown just how responsive the technology can be. During a recent rainy day, when thousands of visitors left the beach at once to shop or visit attractions farther north near Foley, the system automatically shifted into a hurricane evacuation mode, holding north-south lights green at some intersections for as long as ten minutes before allowing cross traffic through.
Both adaptive systems can be manually overridden if needed, but they are built to largely run on their own. “The way it is designed, it’s supposed to run itself,” Aaron said. “There are sensors in the road picking up traffic volumes and as volumes increase, it tells the signal to allow more green time. It’s constantly updating based on what it’s seeing in the field. Ideally there is no manual input, but we do have the capability to have remote access if we are visually seeing a problem or maybe a component isn’t working … we have the ability to make adjustments.”
Not every driver has noticed the same gains yet. Fairhope City Councilman Jack Burrell told the MPO he has seen some improvement overall, but said the intersection near his home at Parker Road still needs adjustment, since it currently allows only two or three vehicles to pass before the light turns yellow again. “There are other places it was not working at all — not detecting cars,” Burrell said. “It’s like a chain. If one piece is broken, nothing works.”
Residents who want to weigh in on the project can submit comments or recommendations through a complaint form posted at easternshorempo.com. Aaron said continued fine-tuning of the Highway 98 system is built into the project’s overall cost, and ALDOT will formally accept the corridor for long-term maintenance once the contractor works through a final punch list of repairs.
The corridor covers 27 intersections stretching from Wayside Drive in Spanish Fort to County Road 44 in Fairhope. The project was funded in 2015 through a mix of state and local dollars, with the Eastern Shore MPO contributing $2.58 million, ALDOT kicking in $586,344, and the cities of Fairhope, Daphne and Spanish Fort splitting roughly $80,000 based on how much of the corridor falls within each city’s limits.
Once the system is fully accepted, the three cities will also take on recurring annual fiber optic lease costs tied to the network — $10,000 for Fairhope, $9,035 for Daphne and $1,155 for Spanish Fort. In exchange, Aaron said, drivers should notice real time savings: ALDOT has already measured improvements of two to three minutes along parts of the route in some instances.
“When you get those peak hour times, there are going to be some gains, but I don’t think they’re going to be as noticeable,” Aaron told the MPO. “There’s only so much you can do when everybody is going everywhere, but at different times of the day you will see better efficiency and every couple of minutes help. When you [multiply] two minutes times 50,000 cars times seven days per week, that’s a lot of money saved.”
The Eastern Shore MPO’s Policy Board is scheduled to take up several other transportation matters at its monthly meeting on April 24, including proposed additions to its visionary project list, state-requested amendments to the regional Transportation Improvement Plan, a $28,000 allocation to help the city of Fairhope develop a Complete Streets Policy Guide, and authorization for staff to solicit proposals for a new 2045 Long Range Transportation Plan. The MPO also holds separate monthly meetings for its bicycle and pedestrian advisory committee, citizens advisory committee and technical advisory committee, with details available on its website.
The Eastern Shore’s list of unfunded transportation improvement projects still totals roughly half a billion dollars. Aaron said the state’s recently passed 10-cent gas tax increase should provide a meaningful boost for infrastructure spending statewide, though it will be up to ALDOT to set priorities for where that new revenue is directed.