Nicole Moons/MCDOT

A worker installing adaptive signal control technology on Bell Road.

More than 50 traffic signals along Bell Road are going to get smarter, thanks to a federally funded project spearheaded by Maricopa County Department of Transportation (MCDOT).

Bell Road is one of the Valley’s busiest thoroughfares, serving up to 65,000 cars per day. The upgrades come after studies showed that four major areas along the road could use new technology to adjust for traffic.

The adaptive signal control technology means a smarter algorithm and sensors will be able to keep cars moving amid changing traffic patterns.  

The project will focus on parts of Bell Road in Surprise, Glendale, Peoria, Phoenix and Scottsdale. Several signals in Scottsdale are already outfitted with the new technology. MCDOT project manager April Wire says this will be the biggest project of its type, at nearly 16 miles of upgrades.

“So it should shorten the travel time on Bell Road and also decrease the delays, not only on the  main line but on the side streets as well,” Wire said.

Wire says it was made possible by working well with the cities involved.

"For one reason or another, a lot of other agencies just don’t have funding to support a project like this or a project of this size. So it’s very exciting to be working on the cutting edge with our partner agencies in the valley to get this kind of technology implemented in the field.”

Drivers on Bell from Loop 101 to Loop 303 should see smoother and faster traffic once the project is finished this spring.