Unnecessarily long waits at most traffic lights in Launceston will be a thing of the past by the end of the year as work begins to upgrade the city's traffic light system - among the oldest in Australia.
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Traffic lights along Wellington Street are the first to be upgraded with sensors to detect waiting vehicles and CCTV to allow signals to be controlled remotely, followed by Bathurst Street and Invermay Road.
New systems have already been installed at intersections throughout the CBD, however they cannot be switched on until the city's entire signalling network has been upgraded by the end of 2020.
Traffic lights on the West Tamar and East Tamar highways will also be upgraded, but funding is yet to be provided for intersections on Hobart Road, Tamar Street, Elphin Road and Penquite Road.
Mayor Albert van Zetten said the upgrades were a vital part of improving traffic flow throughout Launceston.
"We know that there are going to be more issues into the future as our city continues to grow and develop," he said.
"We want this city to develop and grow with more population and more tourists, and when we have people here, we want them to be able to move through the city as conveniently as is possible."
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CCTV at the intersections - like in capital cities - will allow traffic controllers to remotely alter signals to cope with heavy traffic, such as after large sporting events or in emergencies.
Data will also be collected to guide future infrastructure upgrades.
The $6.8 million upgrades are part of the broader City Deal, with $2.9 million from the federal government, $2.1 million from the City of Launceston and $1.6 million from the state government.
Minister for State Growth Michael Ferguson said the traffic light system would be among the most modern in Australia.
"This actually sets the standard for what other cities around Australia will be able to do," he said.
"It's a city-wide approach, but it's targeting the main arterial routes where we're seeing the greatest volume of traffic moving through."
Works have already been undertaken on Wellington and Bathurst streets, and delays are expected to be minimal.