We have news if you have ever wondered what these cables do.

The summertime in Montana means many construction projects are happening across the state. These projects include fixing bridges, roads, guard rails, and more.

These projects can slow traffic down to a snail's pace and can be frustrating for many travelers trying to arrive at their destination quickly.

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Some road projects take years to finish, and many of these plans need data to help the Montana Department of Transportation and companies figure out how to do their job quickly and efficiently without slowing down traffic tremendously.

One way to help the Montana Department of Transportation and companies learn how busy traffic is on certain roadways might surprise you.

How does the Montana Department of Transportation judge traffic flow?

Have you ever driven around on Montana roads and noticed two separate black cables crossing the road?

They aren't cables but are called road tubes.

These rubber tubes show up on random sections of roads and highways across Montana, and drivers might wonder what they are for.

These tubes serve a purpose in planning future road projects.

These tubes count how many cars these roads see daily or weekly. This info helps determine if the street sees a high volume of vehicles.

Using the data from the road tubes helps plan where to start road projects and set up slow-down or restricted driving areas.

Why use these road tubes instead of cameras?

The answer is logical. These tubes are affordable, can be reused, and don't have a high likelihood of being either vandalized or stolen.

Another upside of setting up the cables is how simple and fast you can put them down on the road compared to a camera.

We hope this helps answer a trivia question in the future.