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Nov 3, 2009 9:45 pm US/Central
Broken Electronic TxDOT Signs Frustrate Drivers
By Melissa Newton
NORTH TEXAS (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
From traffic delays, to Amber Alerts, many North Texans rely on those large electronic Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) signs along the highway for important information.
But on November 2 some of those signs weren't working and it was a time when they were needed most.
The TxDOT message boards are strategically placed along highways and interstates to alert drivers, but Monday some broken signs left drivers stuck in traffic and frustrated.
Recently, some signs warned about upcoming delays near the Texas Motor Speedway, but the sign at Interstate-35 near Belknap was blank. Even after a car crash left hundreds of commuters stuck on the South Freeway the sign posted no alert.
"The message boards immediately close to the accident were not functioning, but the message boards north of 820, the ones that were most useful, were functioning," explained Val Lopez with TxDOT.
Both of the electronic message boards on I-35W between Loop 820 and downtown Fort Worth are broken.
TxDOT officials say numerous signs across North Texas are currently down and the department is behind on repairs.
You can blame part of the maintenance backup on the recent rain. "We've had six or eight weeks of constant rain, which not only delays road construction but also repairs to the message boards as well," Lopez said.
North Texas commuter Arlette Willis says the TxDOT signs have helped her several times before. "Especially when you're going to work, when you're stuck in traffic, it would help." And Willis thinks TxDOT should be working faster on sign repairs.
While some commuters feel the signs are useful, others are actually glad when they don't work. "I think the warnings only cause people to jump the side of the road and go to the service road," commuter Linda Knittel said. "You know, I think we would be better off without them to be honest."
TxDOT officials say now that he rain has stopped crews will be out working on the broken signs and as always alerts are put out to radio stations.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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