Starting Thursday, May 4, motorists traveling on Highway 10 in Detroit Lakes may notice changes to traffic signals between Airport Road and County Road 54, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation. The changes are the result of a traffic signal optimization study done earlier this year and are expected to help improve mobility and reduce delay for motorists traveling through Detroit Lakes on Highway 10.

“Motorists will need to pay closer attention at the signals, as the timing and sequencing may not be what they are used to,” explained Trudy Kordosky, MnDOT District 4 traffic engineer.

When making a left turn at certain intersections,
 drivers may find that the green left turn arrow appears at a different time in the cycle. The times of day when the flashing yellow arrow is used will also be updated to best fit the traffic volumes throughout the day. Motorists on local side streets may notice longer wait times, but the changes will reduce delays overall.

In addition to the Highway 10 signals, timing of the signals on Highway 34 at the intersections of Highway 59 and Roosevelt Avenue will also be adjusted to improve traffic flow during peak commute times.

When these adjustments are finalized, motorists on Highway 10 will benefit from reduced delays, stops, fuel usage, emissions, and wear and tear on their vehicles. Nationally, updating traffic signal timing has been shown to reduce traffic delay by 15-40 percent, reduce travel times by up to 25 percent, and has a benefit to cost ratio that can exceed 50:1.