Beginning Tuesday, a WSDOT contractor will turn on the final ramp meter for the I-5/I-205 – Ramp Meter Installation project
VANCOUVER – Travelers on southbound Interstate 205 in Vancouver will soon notice improvements to their travel times.
Beginning Tuesday, Feb. 11, Washington State Department of Transportation contractor, Northeast Electric, LLC., will turn on the final ramp meter for the I-5/I-205 – Ramp Meter Installation project.
This project, which began in July 2023, involved the installation of six ramp meters on on-ramps along Interstate 5 and I-205 throughout Clark County. The final ramp meter in this series, located on the southbound I-205 off-ramp to State Route 500, will be activated on Tuesday, Feb. 11.
What to expect
Ramp meters are traffic signals that adjust to real-time traffic conditions. The meters create gaps between vehicles entering the highway, helping drivers merge more smoothly and keeping traffic moving at highway speeds. Ramp meters also lower the risk of crashes by 30 percent.
How to use ramp meters
Drive up to the white stop line to trigger the ramp meter. If the light is red, stop at the line. When it turns green, accelerate and merge onto the highway. Most ramp meters only let one vehicle enter the highway per green light, with a 4- to 15-second gap between vehicles entering the highway.
Ramp meter data
According to the Southwest Regional Transportation Council’s 2022 Congestion Management Process Summary Report, ramp meters reduced peak travel times on southbound I-5 from Main Street (milepost 3) to Jantzen Beach, Oregon, by 11 minutes.
On-ramp delays
Ramp meters help drivers already on the highway but can cause delays for those merging on. Unlike other states, ramp meters in Washington don’t run at set times. Instead, they adjust based on real-time traffic conditions. WSDOT traffic crews will fine-tune ramp meter operations and monitor traffic at each ramp after they’re turned on. WSDOT’s goal is to balance the needs of both merging drivers and drivers already on the highway.
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