Send this page to someone via email

They City of Surrey has unveiled new “smart” digital road signs meant to help alleviate traffic congestion.

The city’s new Advanced Traveller Information System (ATIS) has been installed in three locations, meant to help motorists headed to the city centre avoid traffic backups.

READ MORE: New variable speed limit signs rolled out at the mouth of the Fraser Valley

One is installed on 104 Avenue at 154 Street and provides estimated travel times to drivers taking 100 Avenue, 104 Avenue or 108 Avenue.

The second sign is located in the 5500 block of King George Boulevard and shows travel times via 132 Street, 140 Street and King George Boulevard.

1:47 Variable speed limit problems Variable speed limit problems

The third sign is on 152 Street Highway 1 off-ramp and lists travel times to the city centre via 100 Avenue, 104 Avenue and 108 Avenue.

Story continues below advertisement

The city says the travel times are determined using 50 Bluetooth sensors installed in a variety of traffic signals throughout the city’s northwest.

The ATIS system is able to detect Bluetooth devices on the roads, encrypts the data and sends it to Surrey’s Traffic Management Centre, where computers crunch the numbers to come up with estimated travel times.