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State-of-the-art ADOT Traffic Operations Center turns 5

State-of-the-art ADOT Traffic Operations Center turns 5

September 26, 2017

Traffic Operations Center

By Caroline Carpenter / ADOT Communications

Since 1992, ADOT's Traffic Operations Center has served as a critical communication hub, allowing operators to quickly dispatch crews to help at crash scenes, coordinate with the Arizona Department of Public Safety, address problems with traffic signals, fix potholes and more.

But this month we're marking an important fifth anniversary for the Traffic Operations Center. It was September 2012 when we completed a $2.1 makeover that created the state-of-the-art facility you see today, complete with its signature wall where we can display up to 40 images from traffic cameras.

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These screens have provided traffic operators and others with views of an overturned watermelon truck, a dog stranded on the median wall of a freeway and Archie Bunker's chair. Most of all, they've helped those staffing the Traffic Operations Center 24 hours a day, seven days a week communicate critical information about conditions.

The renovation, funded by the Federal Highway Administration, upgraded work stations along with the monitoring technology. The photo at right shows what the center looked like before the upgrade.

When the new TOC debuted, ADOT placed public information officers there to communicate with the public about conditions, restrictions and more via social media. These public information officers conduct interviews out of the Traffic Operations Center and answer your questions on Twitter and Facebook.

In addition, Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers are stationed inside the Traffic Operations Center in partnership with ADOT, the Maricopa Association of Governments and the Federal Highway Administration. These troopers assist in clearing freeway crashes faster to protect lives and property while reducing delays.