TxDOT’s I-35 Waco District team manages My35 traffic cameras for the traveling public. Cameras serve many purposes, including giving static snapshots to travelers. For the Waco 4B project, additional camera capabilities provided streaming video to travelers as an upgrade to static snapshots.
Travelers can check the cameras before heading out for a trip that includes I-35. If traffic is heavy in one spot, they can become aware of that and potentially adjust their route to avoid congested areas and save time. Planning ahead, with these videos, offers a better experience for all road users, improving efficiency and traffic flow.
Having a video instead of a static photo makes it possible for travelers to visualize what it’d be like driving down I-35 in that section of the corridor. They can imagine driving behind a long queue of vehicles, moving slow, or they can picture traveling along I-35 in a more free-flowing section — in both directions, northbound and southbound.
This real-time view is invaluable to travelers planning routes to cities in Texas, and accounting for traffic in travel plans. The I-35 Waco Construction Cameras YouTube channel features 22 livestream videos running constantly with up-to-date views of I-35 traffic. These videos cover approximately 12 miles of I-35, including construction areas, in Bellmead, Waco, and Lacy Lakeview.
TxDOT recently added the Waco Mall to Mall Project — Construction Cameras YouTube channel, offering livestream video for the Mall-to-Mall project. This new YouTube channel offers five livestream videos for travelers.
“The I-35 channel shows an increase in total video views and new subscribers on a routine basis, which demonstrates the live video’s value to the public,” says Bob Brydia, Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) senior research scientist and program manager of TTI’s Advanced Transportation Operations Program. “And the Mall-to-Mall YouTube channel, though new to the Waco District team’s livestream channels, is growing as well.”
In addition to recognizing the cameras as a value-add to the public, TxDOT notes the benefits of the cameras to the project and inspection teams. During construction lane closures, inspectors can monitor traffic flow, watch beam sets or observe concrete deck pours. The cameras provide an additional vantage point for inspectors. Noting what work was completed also allows the project team to plan for the next day’s tasks as they observe what was accomplished during the nighttime activities — just one of the many purposes these cameras serve.
Jake Smith
I-35 Public Information Officer
254-867-2705
Contact My35
In addition to coordinating construction, TxDOT’s I-35 Waco District team monitors performance metrics for the corridor such as:
