CDOT Installs 80 “Live-View” Cameras Throughout Colorado

ENHANCED TRAVELER INFORMATION

CDOT Upgrades Traffic/Weather Cameras throughout State

STATEWIDE – The Colorado Department of Transportation has installed a new traffic and weather camera at the T-junction of US 24 and US 285 at Johnson Village (just south of Buena Vista) today, as part of a $1.01 million project to upgrade the Department’s traveler communications network. The project will install 80 (see list, below) new stand-alone “live view” cameras across the state, either adding to or replacing some of the existing 422 cameras already has in place, all visible on CDOT’s traveler information site at www.cotrip.org. The total cost of the project includes one year of service and is paid for through CDOT’s RAMP program, or Responsible Acceleration of Maintenance and Partnerships (http://www.coloradodot.info/programs/RAMP.)

The new camera at Johnson Village (or Antero Junction) can now rotate to show traffic and roadway/weather conditions on all three approaches (north, south and east), whereas the previous camera could only show an east view. All still camera shots, as before, can be viewed by the public on COTRIP.

“We are working to systematically improve travel time reliability and safety on our highways through programs and activities that demonstrate measurable benefits and make the best use of our funding,” CDOT’s Director of Transportation Systems Management & Operations (TSM&O) Ryan Rice said. “These new cameras help improve the accuracy and timeliness of our traveler information by helping people make informed decisions about their travel and will also help us identify and manage traffic incidents more effectively.”

Camera installation has been underway this summer and will continue through the winter, becoming accessible on the COTRIP site as they come online. The cameras use solar-powered technology and cellular communication, which has opened up new possibilities for viewing conditions in more areas, particularly on mountain passes where there are little or no options for “plug-in” equipment.

“Most of our existing cameras operate on routes where CDOT has fiber optic lines next to the roadway; we’ve always wanted to expand the camera network to places with limited communications infrastructure,” said Rod Mead, operations manager of CDOT’s Colorado Traffic Management Center in Golden. “Until recently, the technology was not mature enough.”

To view camera shots, COTRIP site visitors will choose “Devices” from the top menu, then “Cameras” from the right-side menu. Site visitors can also check Signs and Weather Stations from this menu, further enhancing their trip information gathering. CDOT has some 422 traffic cameras installed across the state and accessible on the COTRIP site.

Camera installations throughout CDOT’s five regions (see regional map at  http://www.coloradodot.info/about/assets/RegionsBase.png/view) will be, or have been, installed at the following locations, below. Most locations have been given site names, with highway and mile marker (MM) listed.