No one likes sitting at a traffic light, but officials say new signals along southbound Interstate 270 in Maryland could speed up your commute.
The Maryland Department of Transportation is set to fully activate meters on 23 ramps to southbound I-270 in Montgomery and Frederick counties on Wednesday.
The meters will signal when cars can enter the ramp to the Interstate most of the day, rather than letting drivers decide.
The changes could cut up to 30 minutes off the commute between Frederick, Maryland, and the Capital Beltway, due to reduced congestion and backups, MDOT SHA Administrator Tim Smith said in a press release.
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You may have seen the signals being tested over the past month at ramps between Urbana and the Bethesda area.
Here’s how the new system works.
Drivers should watch for flashing lights and prepare to stop at the line. Once the lights turn green, drivers can get on the ramp and merge onto the interstate, MDOT says.
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The ramp metering system uses sensors to track real-time traffic conditions and adjust the signals, MDOT says.
It's set to be used between 4 a.m. and 11 p.m. daily.
