Traffic congestion issues have ATMS fix in sight: Smith
Electrical issues from a “cabinet” created traffic back-ups at the intersection of Campbell Station and Kingston Pike last week.
“We have been chasing electrical gremlins in that corridor between Campbell Station and Concord (roads),” Town engineer Darryl Smith explained to Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen during its meeting Thursday, June 8. “Probably, the last couple of weeks we have had some issues come up … that backed-up traffic.”
Complicating the traffic further, “there were lane closures along Kingston Pike,” he said. “We’ve had some real issues out there.
“Our signal maintenance contractor replaced the cabinet last weekend,” Smith added. ”They have determined there was a bad part of that cabinet that was burnt out, probably due to surges. The problem is, once something like that happens, it creates other problems.”
Although the contractor traded out the cabinet with a loaner, the Town still had problems over the weekend of Saturday and Sunday, June 10-11.
However, “it’s my understanding they feel like they’ve gotten all the technical issues corrected,” Smith said. “While I’m hesitant to say it’s fixed … they feel they have it at this point.”
Regarding another traffic-related matter, Smith said the Advanced Traffic Management System, which integrates traffic light technology to improve the flow of vehicle traffic, is “moving along.
“The main framework is about 90 percent complete,” he said. ”I’m told they expect to start the fiber instillation on the overhead out at Watt Road probably in the next two weeks.
“That’s farther ahead than I thought they were, but in the meantime, they’ve been installing foundations for new signal poles and running conduit,” Smith said.
“It’s bringing everything in-house,” Vice Mayor Louse Povlin said, noting once the ATMS is installed, the Town won’t “have all the mess that comes with (the current system). We’ll have more control.”
“We will have a signalized control,” Smith said. “We’ll be able to keep a better eye on things.
“We will be able to address a lot of things as they happen,” he added. “One of the greatest parts of that ATMS project is the fact that virtually all of the equipment is being replaced.
“We have some components that are up to 30 years old.”
