The preempted traffic light returns to normal operation within a cycle or two.

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It has dozens of sub-products within it, from Google Transit (public transportation, e.g. subway, information and routing), Live Traffic, StreetView (and the incredible operation that makes that happen), Local search, image recognition technology for reading street and business signs, the list goes on and on.

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The backlog prompted the closure of the M20 between the Maidstone and Ashford turn-offs to allow for the complex operation to shift non-freight traffic off the motorway and onto the A20 to make room for the hundreds of lorries waiting to board ferries and trains for France.

BBC: M20 in Kent still disrupted by cross-channel backlog

It can be a tricky algorithm because you might need a deep queue in normal operation to smooth out momentary bursts of traffic.

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Phase two of Operation Stack is in operation on the M20, meaning coastbound traffic is taken off the motorway at junction eight and lorries heading for the Channel Tunnel or Port of Dover put back, but held in a queue.

BBC: Kent snow and ice causes disruption

In 1868, the world's first traffic lights, built off London's Parliament Square, began operation.

CNN: Tuesday,

The Jetpatcher does all this in one smooth operation, then moves on to the next pothole as traffic resumes its path over the newly repaired road.

BBC: Jetpatchers at work

We knew that the site would attract a significant number of users in its first day of operation, but we had no idea that this volume of traffic would be achieved so quickly.

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As well as the traffic officers, an extra 100 Territorial Support Group officers are being used in the strategy, codenamed Operation Safer Streets.

BBC: Police officers