New variable speed limit signs along eastbound Interstate 70 between Georgetown and Idaho Springs will use traffic and weather data to adjust speeds during heavy traffic and bad weather, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.

Twenty-six signs posted on both sides of the 10-mile stretch of highway will adjust speed limits “based on congestion, traffic conditions and adverse weather such as a snow storm and icy roads,” the agency said in a news release Friday.

The new signs replace 13 older variable speed limit signs and include detectors for vehicle speed, volume and weather.

Lower speed limits posted on the variable signs will be enforced the same way as typical speed limits, the agency said. The speed limit won’t change all the time, only when weather or traffic patterns warrant it.

“Posting the appropriate speed limit in real-time will help prevent crashes at higher speeds, reduce the chances of secondary crashes and improve traffic flow through the corridor,” state officials said in a news release.

The new variable speed limit signs will start operating on March 12.

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