ADOT begins wrong-way vehicle detection project on I-17, closures set
Aug 17, 2017, 5:00 AM
ADOT crews begin digging a trench for installation of system components of a wrong-way vehicle detection project at Interstate 17 and Indian School Road. (Photo courtesy Arizona Department of Transportation)
(Photo courtesy Arizona Department of Transportation)
PHOENIX — Wrong-way driving in Arizona has been a big problem.
This year alone, there have been almost 1,000 incidents of wrong-way drivers on Arizona freeways, the Department of Public Safety reported in June.
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey called for action to limit wrong-way driving incidents, and the Arizona Department of Transportation is doing just that.
ADOT has begun installation of a wrong-way vehicle detection and warning system on Interstate 17, a system that will be the first in the nation.
It is a $3.7 million thermal-camera based project designed to immediately alert ADOT and the DPS if a wrong-way vehicle is detected along a 15-mile stretch of I-17.
ADOT is launching the project at I-17 and Indian School Road, with weekend closures set to help with installation.
Indian School Road will be closed in both directions at I-17 from 9 p.m. Friday to noon Saturday for the mounting of thermal cameras, installation of fiber-optic cable and rewiring of control cabinets in the area. Both off-ramps will also be closed at the same spot.
Future restrictions will be put into place at other I-17 interchanges between I-10 and Loop 101 over the next few months as the department tries to fight this issue.
Wrong-way driving accidents have killed and severely injured many in the area recently, including one near Sunset Point on Tuesday.
The thermal cameras will trigger a wrong-way sign with flashing lights aimed at getting the attention of the wrong-way driver. The cameras will also trigger freeway overhead message boards to notify travelers of a wrong-way driver, along with a specific location notification to state troopers so they can respond more quickly.
