Kimberly Dinwiddie, Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT)
Community Affairs, noted that work is expected to begin by mid May on the
RealTime signs project, with work wrapping on the infrastructure by
December. The project will add 13 variable message signs, including ten
major sign structures, six cameras and more than 20 sensors on Hwy. 26 and
Hwy. 35 that will offer up to the minute traffic information and advisories,
including road conditions and travel times between destinations.

The process for locating the signs and sensors including utility companies and
the U.S. Forest Service, with priorities including access to power, locations
that allowed drivers to make informed decisions and making sure no protected
scenic views were impacted.

The total cost for the project is approximately $4.5 million.
The signs are not expected to be activated immediately after work is
complete, as testing will be needed to make sure sensors are working
properly.

Dinwiddie added that ODOT performed survey work in April, needing to move
and melt snow to make sure everything would go in the correct location.
ODOT activated a similar system around the interchange between OR 217 and
Hwy. 26 in July 2014 and found that after a year the number of crashes
decreased by 20.8 percent while average delay times decreased by ten
percent.

For more information, and simulations, visit
https://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/REGION1/Pages/MtHoodSigns.aspx.