Sensors to Give Commuters a Heads Up on Traffic Jams

Commuters heading south on Interstate 95 will get a heads up on traffic jams thanks to new technology and equipment in place by the Rhode Island Department of Transportation.

The travel times to Exit 13, which services T.F. Green Airport, will be posted on three overhead message boards on I-95 South, starting at the Massachusetts state line. 

The information is expected to help commuters find alternate routes around I-95 South during peak travel hours, and those commuters heading to Rhode Island's major airport. Emergency messages such as a car crash or Amber Alert will take precedence, and travel times will not return until the accident or alert is cleared, according to RIDOT.

During the first phase, traffic sensors will provide travel information from 6 am to 8 pm and placed at East Street in Pawtucket, Smithfield Avenue in Pawtucket and Laurens Street in Cranston.

The next phase of the plan will provide the same information on northbound side of the highway, offering travel times from Exit 13 in Rhode Island to the Massachusetts state line.