UPDATE: I-70 traffic experiment involves 'speed harmonization'
- Details
- Created on Friday, 12 August 2011 14:32
- Written by Dena Rosenberry
A few days ago we warned you to be aware of traffic experiments on Interstate 70 meant to ease congestion, particularly in high-volume summer tourists months and peak skier traffic hours in winter.
The experiments begin Saturday and involve attempts to attain "rolling speed harmonization."
Basically, it's hoped everyone will drive at roughly the same speed, eliminating the jockeying that helps cause traffic congestion and crashes (which cause further congestion) as drivers speed and brake, speed and brake, and lane change, lane change, lane change in order to (or in order to avoid) speeding and braking.
Eureka!
Every 10 minutes between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday, a Colorado State Patrol or Silverthorne Police Department car will turn on its emergency lights and merge into the center lane of eastbound traffic just east of the Silverthorne interchange.
The patrol cars will pace traffic at 55 mph, 10 mph below the posted speed limit.
The idea will be to get 1,100 vehicles through the Eisenhower Tunnel (above, in a lovely shot courtesy of the Colorado Department of Transportation) each hour
CDOT says the I-70 corridor through Summit and Clear Creek counties is busiest on weekends in August, when 25,000 vehicles a day pass through the tunnel.
Hungry for more information on the traffic experiment? Read more at denverpost.com.
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