In a continued effort to advance responsible driving and address wrong-way driver prevention, the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) installed six LED-enhanced “Wrong Way” signs Friday and Monday as part of a pilot project initiated by the NTTA’s Wrong-way Driver Task Force.

NTTA maintenance crews installed the signs at the southbound end of the Dallas North Tollway (DNT) near Harry Hines Boulevard in Dallas, at the northbound Cotton Gin (Main St.) ramp at the DNT, and at the northbound end of the DNT at Hwy. 380 in Frisco. The signs will now be assessed for visibility and nighttime impact to determine whether system-wide deployment is warranted.

The NTTA Wrong-way Driver Task Force continues to address wrong-way driver prevention and is taking the additional following steps to increase safety on the NTTA System:
• Working with the City of Dallas on enhancements to the Wycliff Avenue median at the southbound DNT exit ramp. The enhancements are designed to make it more difficult for motorists under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs to make errant left turns onto the ramp.
• Conducting lane-level testing of wrong-way driver detection loops.

The Authority also has:
• Contracted with the Texas Transportation Institute to conduct crash tests in January 2010 for the possibility of lowering “Wrong Way” signs near exit ramps.
• Installed additional “Wrong Way” and “Do Not Enter” signs and adding reflective tape to those signs.
• Added one-way pavement markers at the south end of the DNT.
• Installed raised pavement markers and piloting a detection system.

The Authority also uses NTTA’s current intelligent transportation system of more than 1,000 cameras, pavement sensors and large messaging signs to ensure the safety of our motorists. It continues to work closely with the Department of Public Safety and local police to increase patrols during holiday weekends or other periods when drunken driving is likely, as well as work with Mothers Against Drunk Driving in an educational campaign to help eliminate drunken driving.

About the NTTA
The North Texas Tollway Authority, a political subdivision of the state of Texas, is authorized to acquire, construct, maintain, repair and operate turnpike projects in the north Texas region. The nine-member governing board is comprised of Chairman Paul N. Wageman; Vice Chairman Victor Vandergriff; and Directors Kenneth Barr, Bob Day, David Denison, Bill Moore, Michael Nowels, Bob Shepard and Alan E. Sims.

The NTTA serves Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties and is responsible for the NTTA System, consisting of the Dallas North Tollway, President George Bush Turnpike, Sam Rayburn Tollway, Addison Airport Toll Tunnel, Lewisville Lake Toll Bridge and the Mountain Creek Lake Bridge. The NTTA is able to raise capital for construction projects through the issuance of turnpike revenue bonds. NTTA toll projects are not a part of the state highway system and receive no direct tax funding. Tolls are collected to repay debt and to operate and maintain the roadways.