The Florida Department of Transportation is continuing its installation several technical upgrades along a 34-mile segment of State Road 40, including flashing lights to warn drivers of animals, cameras to monitor real-time traffic, and digital traffic signs with messages about current conditions.
FDOT is advising motorists that there will be eastbound and westbound single lane closures on SR 40 at the roadway’s intersection with County Road 315 for the installation of new Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS).
These nightly lane closures are scheduled for Thursday, December 11, through Friday, December 12, running from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. each night.
The project covers SR 40 from State Road 35 to the Volusia County line in Lake County. The goal of the project is to reduce the number of collisions between vehicles and wildlife by installing technology that alerts drivers to detected animal presence near the roadway.
A total of 80 solar-powered safety signs are being installed along SR 40. When fully activated, these signs will flash yellow lights to warn drivers that wildlife has been detected.
The state determined the locations of the signs using input from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, ten years of crash data, and studies on wildlife migratory habits.
In addition to the safety signs, nine cameras are being installed on newly erected concrete poles to enable real-time traffic monitoring from FDOT’s District 5 Regional Transportation Management Center in Sanford.
Three sensors capable of detecting smoke and fog are being installed in the forested area to alert the public to poor visibility hazards. Four digital traffic signs will also be installed on SR 40 to display messages about current road and traffic conditions.
The wildlife warning signs will not be fully activated until a subsequent project installs the final wildlife-detection units, which are currently undergoing testing.
FDOT says the project is part of its commitment to building a transportation system that enhances mobility and accommodates Florida’s consistent growth.