The aim of this paper is to review the literature associated with adaptive intelligent traffic control systems. Internet search engines and databases like Google Scholar were used for identifying literature related to the topic. Different periods of time were also considered so that sufficient representation is given to early seminal research as well as very recent works. However, it is not claimed that this review is exhaustive. It only highlights the important issues related to traffic congestion management using adaptive intelligent systems and their effectiveness. The search yielded 30 usable research reports. The research works reviewed adequately demonstrate the multiplicity of approaches possible to tackle traffic management problems in specified contexts. Clearly dynamic systems using real time data and predictive models are better than the commonly used static systems which are insensitive to changing traffic conditions. New methods definitely have significant edge over the current ones in reducing wait times and fuel consumption and thuspollution, giving way to emergency vehicles, reducing accidents and ensuring orderly and smooth traffic flow even during peak hours.

Keywords: Adaptive, Traffic Control, Systems, and Intelligent