Smart highway pilot begins on I-94 between Ann Arbor and Detroit

The first stage of a smart highway pilot project is operational on Interstate 94 between Ann Arbor and Detroit.

The project is using a three-mile stretch of one westbound lane that runs through Van Buren Charter Township. Technology along the roadway can communicate with systems in connected and autonomous vehicles.

“The simplest way to think about it is, it’s a road that’s observing all of the kind of risks factors on the roadway, what’s happening on the roadway,” said Tyler Duvall, chief executive officer and co-founder of Cavnue, the company that’s building the road.

The lane will interact with what the industry calls level two advanced driver assistance systems vehicles. These are vehicles with adaptive cruise and lane assist technology.

Cavnue is paying for the design, permitting, and construction on I-94, as well as providing the pilot project’s digital infrastructure.

The pilot is a 3-mile technology-enabled express lane on I-94. It will be used for testing a combination of physical and digital infrastructure to improve roadway safety and expand the benefits of connected and automated vehicles.

The lane will be open to all road users except semi-trucks, which will continue to use the right two lanes. There will be flexible posts separating the middle and far left lane for vehicle testing during off-peak hours.

The digital infrastructure, poles with cameras, radar sensors, and wireless radio equipment are being installed in the median of I-94. According to the Michigan Department of Transportation, no personal data will be collected during testing; all data collected is for evaluation of safety and mobility technologies.

The pilot stage is expected to last three to five years and covers the initial 3-mile segment on I-94.

The long-term goals are turning the I-94 corridor from Detroit to Ann Arbor into the country’s first smart highway and being ready for fully automated vehicles.