Aaron's Hotlinks

Tomorrow morning the nation’s first Smart Lanes go live on I-35W between Burnsville and I-494 in Bloomington

freshmn:

From MnDOT:

You can expect to see advisory speed limits displayed on overhead electronic signs for the first time beginning at 5 a.m. tomorrow (Thursday, July 29) as we flip the switch for the first time on the nation’s first fully operational “Smart Lanes” system.

The advisory speed limits will only be displayed during times of congestion and are expected to reduce crashes, increase safety and reduce congestion.

Now that Smart Lanes are a reality, here are a few driving tips:

• The advisory speed limits will only be displayed during times of congestion
• The advisory speed limits are the last component to create an “intelligent” roadway that provides drivers with real-time road information to increase safety while decreasing congestion. (The other components are the green arrows, yellow arrows and merge information that appears during times of crashes or other “incidents” that create congestion.)
• When a lane is closed due to a crash or other incident, a red X will indicate the exact point where any particular lane is closed. Please merge into another lane at, or prior to, any red “X.” Driving in a closed lane is not only un-safe, it is also illegal and can result in a ticket and fines.

See a video, learn more about how to smartly use Smart Lanes.

That MnDOT Smart Lanes page also says that smart lanes will go live on I-94 between the downtowns next summer.

Sounds like driving the M25 or the M1 in England.