MOBILE, Alabama (WALA) – If you see Alabama Department of Transportation vehicles and those yellow vests, there’s a good chance they’re working on a major upgrade of the traffic signal infrastructure in the Mobile area.

As part of the regional traffic operations program, 174 traffic signals will be equipped with new controls and hardware.

Once the work is completed, engineers will be able to monitor and operate traffic signals in real time from a shared operations center.

“Starting the last week of August, we will begin implementing new schedules across the board. One of the problems in this region is that we are all used to a single schedule that lasts all day and doesn’t change and doesn’t adjust to traffic patterns. The new schedules will do that, and just for everyday traffic, you should see a notice on your daily commute. Hopefully an improvement,” said Jeremy Borden of ALDOT.

This is convenient for special events like South Alabama football games, Mardi Gras parades, and just everyday traffic.

Temporary signal disruptions may occur, causing signals to flash for one to two minutes.

“Rome wasn’t built overnight. That’s why we’ve been working here for three months. But after those three months, everything should look a lot better,” Borden said.

All four phases are scheduled to be completed by October.

ALDO asks drivers to drive carefully and patiently during this project. And you can always call 311 to report concerns.

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