Lights, cameras slowly return to action on U.S. 158

NCDOT personnel say worn out equipment and damaged fiber optic cable slowed efforts to restore images from a series of traffic cameras along U.S. 158 in Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head.

A number of cameras from south of the Wright Memorial to Whalebone Junction had been out of service since a cable was damaged during installation of a stop light at West Landing Drive.

The cameras from Colington Road to Neptune Drive came back online Wednesday, but four cameras from Barnes Street to the Outer Banks Mall are still down.

The NCDOT traffic management center in Raleigh utilizes the cameras to monitor traffic 24 hours a day to remotely control the timing of signals from the Wright Memorial Bridge to the Midway intersection on Roanoke Island.

Because the cameras have been down and the reduction of the speed limit to 45 mph, the signals along the busiest stretch of Croatan Highway have appeared at times to be out of sync with the flow of traffic.

More cameras are scheduled to be installed from Corolla to Manteo in the coming months, while several new cameras in Moyock were activated last month.

Click for live images from the cameras, courtesy of Traffic Land »

Four variable message signs along N.C. 168 and U.S. 158 in Currituck County are nearly ready to begin full service.

The sign north of Barco began displaying information Tuesday about the repaving of U.S. 158 currently taking place between the Knapp Memorial Bridge in Coinjock and the village of Grandy.

The other signs located in Moyock, Sligo and Coinjock are still being tested.

Plans are to give information to motorists in terms of how many miles ahead congestion is located, rather than using estimates of how long it takes to reach a certain destination.

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