FONTANA, Calif. - With all infrastructure projects, can come major headaches for commuters.
And as the buzz around 60 Swarm turns to real-life closures, the Inland Empire Traffic Management Center -- also known as the TMC -- is preparing for what Caltrans is calling the “Godzilla” of freeway infrastructure projects.
Dirk Spaulding is a Transportation Engineer at the center and is prepping those Changeable Message Signs you see along the freeway that alert drivers of what to expect.
“There are specific standards on how you send that data, what those messages can contain. We also have to make sure that the message can fit on the signs, because the signs can have a limited number of characters they can support. So we try to make it clear and understandable as well as concise,” Spaulding said.
Traffic itself is just part of the equation for keeping drivers safe during a project like 60 Swarm.
The TMC is also home to California Highway Patrol Dispatch.
CHP Lieutenant Commander Veda Fleeton relies on Caltrans technology to see what’s going on on the freeways and dispatchers help respond to the 45,000 monthly calls to the state’s third busiest communications center.
“Try to mitigate the traffic as much as possible by getting out and having extra officers out there at these closures, not only to assist with the closure, but to protect also the Caltrans workers out there,” she said.
The 15-weekend closure of the 60 between the 15 and the 60/215/91 intersection will no doubt be an inconvenience for drivers, but Caltrans and CHP both say planning and giving plenty of time is the best way drivers can avoid congestion, as much as possible.
As 60 Swarm begins, Spaulding says the TMC’s success is all about how much they help drivers.
“The goal is to get diversions with the least number of incidents and to really not affect the traveling public more than can be avoided,” said Spaulding.
Brace yourselves. Here comes the Swarm.