Paving the Way for Smart Roads
Authored by Pablo Ferrando: Head of Innovation and Jen Duthie, PE, PhD: Senior Innovation Manager at Cintra
The Digital Infrastructure Age is not an era of the future – it is happening now. Digital Infrastructure Week recognizes that infrastructure is both physical and digital, with smart highways playing an important role as vehicles become even more connected to their surroundings.
Smart roads incorporate technology to improve safety, reduce congestion, and enhance the overall driving experience. Their key feature is the use of data from connected vehicles and sensors, artificial intelligence, and state-of-the-art communications to collect and analyze data in real-time, allowing for safer and more efficient traffic flow. Additionally, smart highways can provide valuable data to transportation authorities, allowing them to make informed decisions about future infrastructure investments and proactively maintain existing infrastructure.
State and federal departments of transportation (DOTs) have been at the forefront of this transformation, with their leadership and guidance paving the way for the deployment of digital infrastructure across the country. By leveraging the latest technologies, these agencies are creating a more connected and intelligent transportation system, capable of predicting and preventing crashes on the road.
Cintra is an industry leader in the development and implementation of advanced highways that, with its partners, manages more than 150 roadway miles in North America. Through its AIVIA Smart Roads initiative, the company is already incorporating digital infrastructure into major projects, including the I-66 Express Outside the Beltway Lanes in Northern Virginia. AIVIA is built with the ability to be incorporated into both new and existing highways and is designed to create a smarter, safer, and more efficient travel experience.
Cintra is proud to be a “First Mover” of USDOT’s Allies in Action, the agency’s call to action for reducing serious injuries and deaths on US roadways. As an ally, Cintra will, as part of the AIVIA Smart Roads program, leverage digital infrastructure to predict conditions that may lead to a crash and improve driver information and emergency response times when a crash does occur.
The development of digital roads and highways through sensors, artificial intelligence, and communication systems has the potential to revolutionize the transportation system in the US, boosting our economy and making it more resilient. By leveraging the leadership of the public sector, as well as the innovation and investment efforts of private infrastructure companies, we can accelerate this transition, improve the safety of our roads and highways and create a more connected and intelligent transportation system for the future.