Virginia Smart Road Explained
The Virginia Smart Road, also known as simply the Smart Road or Smart Highway,[2] is a short, limited-access road in Montgomery County, Virginia, used for the testing of pavement technologies and as a proving ground for new transportation technologies. The Smart Road is currently a 2.2miles stretch of road with turn-around loops at either end. Eventually, the road will be extended to a total of 5.7miles, directly connecting U.S. Route 460 in Blacksburg to Interstate 81 with an interchange near mile marker 121; however, there is yet to be a set time frame for completion. The Wilson Creek Bridge was built for the Smart Road and, at 175feet tall, is the second tallest bridge in Virginia.[3] The road and bridge are operated and maintained by the Virginia Department of Transportation.[1] It is also part of the Proposed Interstate 73 Corridor.
Features
Smart Road features and operations include, but are not limited to:[1]
- A 2.2-mile, controlled-access test track built to interstate standards
- Two paved lanes
- Three bridges, including the Smart Road Bridge (the second tallest state-maintained bridge in Virginia)
- Full-time staff that coordinate all road activities
- 24/7 access control and oversight
- Centralized communications
- Lighting and weather system controls
- Safety assurance and surveillance
- Fourteen pavement sections, including an open-grade friction course
- In-pavement sensors (e.g., moisture, temperature, strain, vibration, weigh-in-motion)
- Zero-crown pavement section designed for flooded pavement testing
- An American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)-designated surface friction testing facility
- Seventy-five weather-making towers accessible on crowned and zero-crown pavement sections
- Artificial snow production of up to four inches per hour (based on suitable weather conditions)
- Production of differing intensities of rain with varying droplet sizes
- Fog production
- Two weather stations with official National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather available within one mile
- Variable pole spacing designed to replicate 95 percent of national highway systems
- Multiple luminaire heads, including light-emitting diode (LED) modules
- A wireless mesh network variable control (i.e., luminaire dimming)
- A high-bandwidth fiber network
- A differential GPS base station
- Complete signal phase and timing (SPaT) using remote controls
- Wide shoulders for safe maneuvering during experimental testing
Segments
| Phase | Project | Completion |
|---|
| 1 | 1.78miles two-lane testbed with western end turnaround | March 2000 |
| 2 | 2000feet Wilson Creek Bridge and eastern end turnaround | May 2001 |
| 3 | 3.7miles extension to I-81 at mile marker 121 | TBA |
| Future | Widening entire 5.7miles roadway to four lanes | TBA | |
In 1994, VDOT unveiled two alternate routes for the Smart Road partially to avoid smooth purple coneflower populations in Ellett Valley.
[4] External links
Notes and References
- Web site: The Virginia Smart Road . Virginia Tech Transportation Institute . 2014-06-01.
- Web site: The Smart Road. Kozel. Scott M.. February 19, 2004. Roads of the Future. 2009-05-04.
- Web site: Corridor Q: Route 460 Connector - Phase I. February 24, 2016. VDOT. 2016-03-21.
- Web site: Flower that rerouted Smart Road removed from endangered list . 8 July 2022 . . 2022-07-09.
