ATLANTA – The Georgia Department of Transportation has installed new meters to help regulate traffic flow on the I-85 entrance rams at Hwy. 20 in Buford and Ga. 400 at McFarland Road in Forsyth County.

The meters, which begin operating Wednesday, are turned on before rush hour, and operate at different times of day depending on traffic patterns. Every 3-5 seconds, a cycle from red to green allows one vehicle at a time to merge onto the freeway.

 Georgia DOT Traffic Engineer Scott Zehngraff said, the DOT will monitor the meters and if traffic starts to back up they speed up the timing or turn them off completely.

There are about 170 ramp meters in the metro-Atlanta area. State officials say they reduce rush-hour commute times and control traffic flow from surface streets onto the interstates.