US 378's traffic signal system will soon shorten drive times for patients requiring hospital care.

Lexington Medical Center is planning the $2 million project to improve the US 378 traffic signal system from Lexington to the hospital in West Columbia. 

Included are traffic detection cameras, bluetooth travel time monitoring devices and pre-emption control devices. This monitors real-time traffic flow and adjusts traffic signal timing.

The system will allow ambulances transporting patients to Lexington Medical Center to use onboard traffic-signal emitters to safely and quickly pass through intersections. The emitters interact with the updated traffic signals to ensure that all traffic signals ahead of an ambulance running lights and sirens turn green, so that the ambulance can move through the intersections.

12 ambulances are outfitted with traffic-signal emitters. 

Lexington County EMS will install 4 additional ones at a cost of $4,200 per ambulance. 

It is the county’s goal to outfit all 28 ambulances with the emitters.

Lexington County Fire Service has outfitted 7 fire response vehicles with the emitters. 

The City of West Columbia Fire Department will have the capability of outfitting their fleet, too.