Artificial intelligence is coming to one of California’s most congested highways, all in an effort officials say could reshapehow the state fights gridlockand potentially save hundreds of millions in construction costs.
Monterey County made the move this week, rolling out a new adaptive traffic signal system along Highway 68.
Nine traffic signals between San Benancio Road and Josselyn Canyon Roadstarted operating Mondayunder an adaptive traffic signal control (ATSC) system.
The launch followed months of field testing and calibration aimed at refining the technology.
The effort is part of a five-year pilot program approved in March 2025 by the Board of Directors of the Transportation Agency for Monterey County.
Caltrans District 5 is working alongside the agency to run the system and will provide ongoing updates and performance analysis throughout the trial period.
Instead of fixed schedules, the new signals use sensors and real-time data to adjust timing automatically based on traffic conditions.
The goal is to ease congestion by responding instantly to changing flow patterns.
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The system covers a 9-mile stretch of Highway 68, a major connector between Salinas farmland and the Monterey Peninsula that also feeds traffic in from Highway 101.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
