Michigan Department of Transportation partners with 3M on connected work zone

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is partnering with 3M to utilise connected vehicle technologies along more than three miles of I-75. Using solutions from 3M, the current I-75 work zone in Oakland County will be transformed over the course of four months to improve safety for drivers and to test advanced vehicle to infrastructure technologies on the connected and autonomous vehicles of the future.
May 23, 2017 Read time: 2 mins

The 1688 Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is partnering with 4080 3M to utilise connected vehicle technologies along more than three miles of I-75. Using solutions from 3M, the current I-75 work zone in Oakland County will be transformed over the course of four months to improve safety for drivers and to test advanced vehicle to infrastructure technologies on the connected and autonomous vehicles of the future.

3M will be providing MDOT with all-weather lane markings, retro-reflective signs with smart sign technology and dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) devices for vehicle to infrastructure communications. The updated materials will allow for redundancy and greater machine vision, as well as improved driver safety on the roads. Additionally, 3M will provide work crews ANSI-compliant clothing with 3M Scotchlite reflective material, to ensure proper worker safety throughout the project.

The I-75 modernisation project aims to position Michigan to be among the first states to test connected vehicle infrastructure on this scale. As vehicles become increasingly automated and connected, existing road infrastructure must be updated to ensure safety and reliability of this emerging technology. Signs, pavement markings, temporary traffic controls and vehicle identification systems need to be designed and implemented to pave the way for the data-driven environment of the cars and roads of tomorrow.

MDOT will resume construction on the I-75 modernisation project in May. In addition to rebuilding the interstate, MDOT will realign interchanges and upgrade geometrics to improve safety and travel time reliability. Installation of permanent RSUs is included to further support connected and automated vehicles. Overall, the I-75 Modernisation project will rebuild more than 17 miles of interstate that will support advanced technology and vehicles of the future.

Location Based Systems

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Bringing V2I and V2V communications to workzone safety
    January 26, 2012
    Imran Hayee of the University of Minnesota Duluth's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering talks about efforts to bring V2I and V2V communications into work zones. With USDOT backing and under the auspices of the ITS Joint Program Office Connected Vehicle Research (formerly IntelliDrive) research programme, M. Imran Hayee of the University of Minnesota Duluth's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering along with team of his students, have been conducting research into the application of
    Read More
  • Increased automation is already improving road safety
    April 20, 2017
    Richard Cuerden considers how many of the technologies developed as part of a move toward autonomous vehicles are already being deployed as ADAS improve road safety. The drive to create autonomous vehicles has caused a re-evaluation of what is needed to safely navigate today’s roads and the development of systems that can replace the driver in many scenarios. However, many manufacturers are not waiting for ‘tomorrow’ and are already incorporating these systems in their new cars as Advanced Driver Assistanc
    Read More
  • ITS asset management matters
    April 26, 2013
    Maintenance of on-road ITS kit needs to become more sophisticated; while new technologies can deliver better road maintenance. David Crawford investigates both sides of the issue "Good information is key to effective ITS asset maintenance,” says Ian Routledge of the Ian Routledge Consultancy (IRC), whose Imtrac (Information Management for TRAffic Control) system is poised for European expansion. Developed as an ‘intelligent filing cabinet’ for storing information about on-road equipment, the online database
    Read More
  • Lindsay technology aids workzone, road safety
    February 15, 2016
    Lindsay Transportation Solutions (LTS) will have a major presence again this year at Intertraffic Amsterdam and will feature its internationally successful Road Zipper barrier transfer machine as well as highlighting several new innovations including a new profiled marking tape and a new CE marked crash cushion.
    Read More

Highlighted Content