Federal grant to fund Alabama test program to control traffic jams

The U.S. Department of Transportation is sending $5 million dollars to Alabama for a test program to better handle traffic congestion. The state program is called the Proactive Route Operations to Avert Congestion in Traffic or PROACT for short. The test project is supposed to use advanced traffic technologies and decision support tools to funnel traffic more efficiently around on I-65 around the city of Cullman. The plan includes advanced road weather tools, technologies and signal management systems. DOT is funding ten of these test projects nationally through a program called the Advanced Transportation and Congestion Management Technologies Deployment, or ATCMTD. Over $45 million dollars will be spent to test ideas to improve mobility in underserved communities.