While Wilmington is well known for its beautiful downtown Riverwalk and tranquil beaches, residents are also well aware of the Port City's bustling daily traffic.
In certain locations across the city, a network of live road cameras continuously monitors Wilmington's traffic flow.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation operates 36 cameras across Wilmington.
Where are the live road cameras located?
Of the 36 cameras across the Port City, more than half are situated along five well-traveled streets, frequented by locals and visitors.
I-140
- I-140/U.S. 17 at Bus. 17 W
- I-140/U.S. 17 at U.S. 74/U.S. 76
- I-140 at Mt. Misery Road
- I-140 at Cider Hill Road
- I-140/U.S. 17 at NC 133
- I-140/U.S. 17 at I-40
College Road
- College Road at 17th Street/Waltmoor Road
- College Road at Oriole Drive
- College Road at Martin Luther King Parkway
- College Road at Wilshire Boulevard
- College Road at Shipyard Boulevard
Oleander Drive
- Oleander Drive at College Road
- Oleander Drive at Wooster Street/17th Street
- Oleander Drive at Floral Parkway/Fordham Road
Carolina Beach Road
- Carolina Beach Road at Front Street/Burnett Boulevard
- Carolina Beach Road at Shipyard Boulevard
- Carolina Beach Road at George Anderson Drive
- Carolina Beach Road at College Road/Piner Road
- Carolina Beach Road at Sanders Road
Market Street
- U.S. 17 Bus. on Market Street at Military Cutoff Road
- U.S. 17 Bus. on Market Street at Torchwood Drive/Bayshore Drive
- U.S. 17 Bus. on Market Street at Martin Luther King Parkway/Eastwood Road
- U.S. 17 Bus. on Market Street at Cinema Drive
- U.S. 17 Bus. on Market Street at College Road/Gingerwood Drive
Others
- U.S. 17/74/76 at River Road
- U.S. 76/421 at Cape Fear Memorial Bridge (east side)
- 3rd Street at Isabel Holmes Bridge
- Martin Luther King Parkway at Isabel Holmes Bridge (east side)
- 17th Street at Shipyard Boulevard
- Dawson Street at 16th Street/17th Street
- Independence Boulevard at Shipyard Boulevard
- Independence Boulevard at Park Avenue
- Eastwood Road at Racine Drive
- Eastwood Road at Cavalier Drive
- Military Cutoff Road at Station Road
- Military Cutoff Road at Allens Lane
Who has access to the camera feeds?
Most if not all of the cameras are owned by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), Lt. Greg Willett, public information officer with the Wilmington Police Department, said.
"Wilmington traffic and engineering as well as the (WPD) STING center do have direct access to them," Willett said. "The cameras that are pan-tilt (and) zoom can be moved. The STING center is able to move them along with traffic and engineering."
Real-time snapshots for most of the cameras across Wilmington can also be accessed by the general public through the Drive NC webpage.
What is the purpose of the live road cameras?
The cameras are able to monitor traffic flow and efficiency, but also prove as a valuable resource after a traffic collision, Willett said.
"They capture a lot of wrecks," Willett said. When police officers are investigating a wreck and know of a camera in the area, "they can contact the STING center and the STING center can actually go play that video back and let the officer know (what happened) ... and then they could save that video clip."
After an accident, insurance companies and other relevant entities can access these videos via public records request. Sometimes, this can help to determine fault in a collision.
"There are occasions where the camera is not pointing in the right direction or the camera is too far away, but ... sometimes it's extremely helpful in that aspect," Willett said, adding that the video footage has been instrumental in the investigation of a few fatal crashes in Wilmington, amongst other incidents.
Unlike a few other cameras across the Port City, this group of NCDOT owned cameras do not have the capability to monitor and ticket speeding as far as he is aware, Willett said.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: More than 30 live road cameras exist across Wilmington. Here's where you'll find them.
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