Atlanta – In anticipation of Florida residents and visitors fleeing Hurricane Ernesto, the Georgia Department of Transportation’s NaviGAtor system has activated its traffic sensors on hurricane evacuation routes throughout central and south Georgia. Anyone can review traffic conditions on I-95, I-75 and I-16 as well as several state routes by selecting www.georgia-navigator.com and accessing the “COUNTERS” option under the “TRAFFIC” heading on the left margin.

“We don’t yet know how severe this storm will be when it hits, so we must be prepared for a fairly sudden evacuation,” said Teri Pope, GDOT’s District Communications Officer. “NaviGAtor’s traffic sensors provide a way for motorists to make informed choices on getting to safety as quickly as possible.”

The Traffic Counter map for Georgia appears with colored squares along the hurricane evacuation routes. Users can tell traffic conditions at a glance by noting the color of the squares. Green squares indicate traffic is flowing smoothly, while yellow squares indicate some slowdown. Red squares indicate severe traffic congestion. A legend at the bottom of the map provides more information on color-coding.

Rolling the cursor over a square produces a pop-up window that provides the road name, location and direction, as well as average traffic volume, speed, and number of lanes. Clicking on any of the colored squares takes the user to a chart for comparing actual current traffic data to historic data. The current data is updated approximately every 30 minutes.

To better determine evacuation routes away from the interstates, users can “zoom” into various areas of the state using the magnifying glass icons on the map.

“The sensors also help emergency workers determine where traffic control is needed, so they can respond efficiently and assist people in reaching higher ground,” Gavalas said.

Motorists needing real-time traffic information can also dial *DOT, 404-635-6800 or 1-888-635-8287 and speak to a live operator at the Transportation Management Center (TMC), open 24 hours a day, seven days a week to receive calls.

For more information about the NaviGAtor system, the hurricane evacuation routes and the traffic sensors, contact the Public Information/Media Relations Office at GDOT’s Transportation Management Center, 404-635-8035.