Shanghai plans to install more intelligent traffic lights near on-ramps for elevated roads this year, a city official said Wednesday.

Intelligent traffic signs will also be installed on other streets to guide traffic as an increasing number of construction sites have popped up downtown.

"We want to provide better guidance to drivers," Qian Jianguo, a Shanghai Engineering Administrative Bureau official, said Wednesday.

He said the bureau has already installed intelligent traffic lights near on-ramps to the elevated road near Wuyi Road. It also plans to install them at the Inner Ring Road, South-North Elevated Road and Yan'an Elevated Road.

Regular traffic lights function under preset programming, but an intelligent traffic light changes according to actual traffic flow.

The bureau uses elevated monitors and sensory loops to capture traffic conditions around the city and sends necessary information back to headquarters for display use.

The bureau and traffic police work together to keep the system operational.

Qian said an intelligent light turns red shortly after an accident, thus prevent more vehicles from entering the elevated road.

Traffic police often direct traffic during busy periods, but the computerized lights are expected to be more efficient, officials said.

(Shanghai Daily February 15, 2008)