ATLANTA — State transportation engineers are gearing up to keep traffic flowing smoothly and safely during the World Cup.
The Georgia Department of Transportation has what a spokesperson calls the “FIFA War Room” at the Transportation Management Center in southeast Atlanta.
“It will be standing room only,” Samuel Harris, GDOT’S State Traffic Engineer, told Channel 2’s Bryan Mims.
He said engineers and law enforcement will work in the room together to monitor traffic conditions throughout the World Cup.
Engineers can make adjustments to traffic control tools to improve the flow. For example, they can remotely change red and green light times and identify alternate routes if a road is too congested or if it closes.
“We’re getting a lot of that information so we can make almost real-time decisions when we’re seeing a fluctuation, whether that be from congestion or heavier demand from a pedestrian standpoint,” Harris said. “Engineers in the room will be able to monitor that.”
The 511 dispatch center, where calls for HERO and CHAMP crews come in from across the state, will also have additional operators throughout the World Cup.
HERO and CHAMP respond to stranded drivers, debris in the road and other problems that can cause congestion.
HERO, which stands for Highway Emergency Response Operators, serves metro Atlanta.
CHAMP, which stands for Coordinated Highway Assistance and Maintenance Program, covers the rest of the state. On Wednesday, they announced a new sponsorship from GEICO Insurance.
Jason Josey, Incident Management Programs Manager for GDOT, said the sponsorship will provide funds for additional training for HERO and CHAMP drivers.
“And make sure we can keep that training up to date, make sure that men and women have the best possible training to keep them alive and get back home,” he said.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
TRENDING STORIES:
- Georgia caregiver arrested after videos show alleged ‘hateful’ abuse of patients
- Groups get into fight, pull out guns. What police say man’s girlfriend did after he was shot
- Police chief locked out of his job days after being reinstated
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2026 Cox Media Group
