Keeping traffic flow safe and organized is vital to ensure road safety. This is even more important in intersections where multiple lanes meet. In many areas with intersecting roads, several traffic lights are present, ensuring a safe and orderly stop-and-go flow.
To level up to the highest standards of road safety today, NLEX Corporation has recently installed new traffic lights at its NLEX Connector. To give context, the NLEX connector is an elevated expressway that links Caloocan City to Santa Mesa, Manila, which has intersections under it that connect to areas such as C3, Caloocan, España, and Magsaysay Boulevards in Manila.
The expressway operator teamed up with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to make this upgrade possible. In a recent ceremony, NLEX turned over new units of traffic light systems to MMDA. What’s great about these new traffic light systems is that they now come with sensors that determine traffic volume.
Traditional traffic lights have a preset time interval during which stop (red light), caution/slow down (yellow-orange light), and go (green light) signals are shown. This system covers both motorists and pedestrian traffic flow.
In the case of these new traffic light systems, built-in sensors would determine the vehicle volume on a particular lane or road. The system then triggers a specific light on that section to prevent excessive vehicle buildup. Additionally, safer pedestrian crossing management is expected to be achieved as a result of this upgrade. To complement the system, lane markings and road signs in the areas have also been improved.
MMDA will oversee the operation and maintenance of the new traffic lights. MMDA Chairman Romando Artes shared, “Ang proyekto pong ito ay isang magandang halimbawa ng pagtutulungan ng iba’t ibang ahensya at ng pribadong sektor para magkaroon tayo ng isang safer, smarter, and more efficient road network para sa lahat (This project is a good example of cooperation between various agencies and the private sector to create a safer, smarter, and more efficient road network for everyone).”
