Drivers across Southeast Iowa may notice additional Iowa Department of Transportation activity along local roads and highways this spring and summer as the agency gathers traffic data to help plan future transportation improvements.
According to the Iowa DOT, this year’s traffic counting efforts will focus heavily on Southeast Iowa. Crews will be installing portable video recording equipment at select intersections and roadways to monitor vehicle traffic.
Officials say the recordings will help count and classify vehicles, track turning movements at intersections, and collect other data used to predict traffic trends and identify future roadway needs.
In addition to the cameras, DOT employees will also place portable traffic counters using air-pressure tubes stretched across roadways. Those devices record the number of vehicles traveling through an area and are typically left in place for one to two days at a time.
The department says workers may be seen checking the equipment during nights and weekends as part of the data collection process.
State transportation officials say the information gathered is critical in helping determine where improvements are needed most and how transportation dollars can be spent effectively.
Additional work planned statewide this summer includes maintenance and upgrades to permanent traffic recorders and weigh-in-motion equipment, along with railroad crossing inventories to document warning systems, gates, and other safety features.
The Iowa DOT is asking motorists to watch for employees and vehicles working along Southeast Iowa roads throughout the coming months.