Raleigh, N.C. — The North Carolina Department of Transportation's Traffic Management Center moved into a new $2.3 million facility this month, bringing it up to speed with similar centers throughout the country.

Operators moved Nov. 1 to the new National Guard Joint Operations Headquarters in Raleigh, where they monitor traffic cameras across the Triangle and conditions around the state.

Their previous facility was a set of trailers in west Raleigh.

The new control center is designed with emergencies in mind, such as snowstorms and hurricane evacuations, when clear communication and fast decisions can save lives, DOT engineer Battle Whitely said.

For example, the center helps guide the North Carolina State Highway Patrol to wrecks and dispatch motorist assistance crews to help keep traffic moving when something happens on the roads.

State emergency management operations will move into the National Guard building next month, and Highway Patrol dispatchers are expected to move into the facility next year.

"Having that direct communication is much more efficient, much more effective, and hopefully it will be a benefit to everybody," Whitely said.