Manatee County officials are asking local drivers to use extra caution on county roads in coming months as traffic signals at several intersections are adjusted and retimed under the second major implementation of the Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS).

The retiming project begins on Monday4.

"Officials from Manatee County’s Traffic Engineering Division said the Florida Department of Transportation-funded project will allow more than 230 traffic signals in Manatee County to be better “coordinated” with each other but it will not mean a continuous chain of green lights around town during rush hours," a news release states.

The project is designed to decrease travel times by increasing the efficiency of traffic signals, according to the county.

Some of the major roads included in this phase include 59th Street West and 26th Street West between Manatee Avenue West and Cortez Road in Bradenton; 63rd Avenue East between U.S. 41 and U.S. 301; Lakewood Ranch Boulevard between state roads 64 and 70; and University Parkway east of Interstate 75.

Drivers who are familiar with certain left turn signals on their routes may notice that the lights don’t turn green when they expect them to.

The retiming project is the fourth major phase of the ATMS project which includes upgrading traffic signals and adding vehicle detection devices in order to increase traffic efficiency and reduce delays on major roads throughout Manatee and Sarasota counties, the county said.

For more information on Manatee County Government, visit online at www.mymanatee.org or call (941) 748-4501.