Florida to help you avoid traffic

"State transportation officials are close to launching an expanded traffic-information system that will allow drivers to get details on backups and other road conditions simply by dialing 511.

"What's new is the information won't be just for I-4, where 511 has been available for years. The system will now extend to more than 200 miles of Central Florida highways—from the Western Beltway and BeachLine Expressway to State Road 436, U.S. Highway 17-92 and S.R. 50, one of the country's deadliest roads."

"It's all part of a package of high-tech highway improvements called iFlorida that includes electronic speed-limit signs along 11 miles of I-4 through downtown Orlando.

"The signs will display speed limits that may change at the blink of an eye from John Young Parkway to Maitland Boulevard based on weather conditions or congestion. The speed limit will only go down, not up, from the normal 50 mph to 55 mph along the stretch of interstate. The idea is to slow down traffic gradually, ahead of any problem, to keep conditions from getting worse."

"In addition to road backups, the 511 system will offer information about severe weather conditions and estimated travel times. People also can use 511 to dial into the international airports in Orlando or Sanford, Port Canaveral and Lynx's carpool and fixed-route services and vans for the disabled." Florida to help you avoid traffic