Michigan Department of Transportation will activate ramp meters on the Spencer Road entrance ramp to eastbound Interstate 96 in Livingston County on Friday, October 23, the agency announced. The system controls the spacing of vehicles entering the highway from the ramp to ease congestion approaching the US-23 interchange.
When eastbound I-96 traffic speeds drop below 60 miles per hour, the ramp meter will switch from flashing yellow to a standard traffic signal sequence, requiring drivers to wait for a green light before proceeding. This creates gaps between vehicles as they enter the freeway to "smooth traffic flow at the merge," according to Stephanie Palmer, the agency's traffic and operations engineer.
Ramp metering systems are in use in Ohio, Texas, Georgia, Florida, Wisconsin, Nevada, and along I-96's Flex Route in Oakland County, the agency said.
The activation is part of the $162 million US-23 Flex Route project in Livingston County, funded through Governor Gretchen Whitmer's Rebuilding Michigan program. The project supported an estimated 1,960 jobs through direct and indirect employment.