Traffic light system rebooted after car crash

WHITE CITY, Ore. — After a car crash took out an electrical control box on the intersection of highway 140 and 62, Oregon Department of Transportation worked all day to get the traffic light system up and running again.

Nearly 30,000 vehicles drive through the intersection every day. The intersection uses a system called a visual detection system. The system is able to monitor how many cars at each light and and when the light should change to create free flowing traffic.

When the control box was taken out, ODOT had to use flaggers to control traffic for nearly eight hours. Workers were able to get the a new temporary control box in place that put the lights on a timer system.

“One of the most important components of the intersection was demolished, were taking today to try to get it back to normal, it may not get back to normal today, so there may be delays and frustrations on behalf of motorists,” ODOT PIO, Gary Leaming, said.

Around three P.M., workers were able to get the visual detection system back up and running, but it was only running at about 80 percent efficiency.

Leaming told us it’ll take about a month to get the system back to 100 percent. He says they have to get a contractor who will but in a permanent control box, completely rewire the systems and put new foundation in.

This could cost nearly 5o thousand dollars and will most likely shut down lanes in the intersection. The maintenance will take roughly a month to complete.

 

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