Coming soon to I-70 at Dowd Junction between Vail and Beaver Creek are speed limit signs with a brain.
“We’re implementing algorithms that are tied to the weather stations,” says Andi Staley with CDOT, explaining the next generation of variable speed limit signs, known as VSL signs. “We’re starting to get a lot more automation with these variable speed limit signs.”
CDOT says these smart signs have already made a difference elsewhere on the I-70 mountain corridor, including Glenwood Canyon and 10 miles between Georgetown and Idaho Springs.
“This new technology automatically adjusts the speed limit based on congestion, traffic conditions and adverse weather, such as a snowstorm and icy roads,” CDOT writes in a press release. “Posting the appropriate speed limit in real-time will help prevent crashes at higher speeds, reduce the chances of secondary crashes and improve traffic flow through the corridor.”
The VSL signs between Georgetown and Idaho Springs were upgraded in March this year. The Glenwood Canyon signs were installed in 2018.
In coming years, CDOT hopes to expand beyond the mountain corridor, including U.S. Highway 160 at Wolf Creek Pass.