Replacing DSRC Roadside Units With C-V2X Units on a 28-Mile Section of I-24 in Nashville Estimated to Cost $1.8 Million.

Research Report Outlines V2X Applications and Equipment on the I-24 SMART Corridor.

Made Public Date
07/31/2025
Identifier
2025-SC00575

The I-24 SMART Corridor V2X Roadmap outlines Tennessee DOT’s planned deployment of V2X technologies to enhance safety and mobility along the 28-mile corridor. Existing ITS infrastructure included 150 Roadside Units (RSUs) consisting of 125 Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC) devices and 25 Cellular-Vehicle to Everything (C-V2X) devices, 67 gantries, and over 200,000 linear feet of fiber-optic cable.  A one-time capital investment of approximately $1.8 million was required to upgrade the legacy DSRC RSUs to C-V2X capability.

This estimate is partly based on cost data from the USDOT ITS Deployment Evaluation Database, which indicated that a new RSU device can range in cost from $900 to $5,250, with additional expenses of $1,000 to $8,000 for configuration, integration, and testing.

The capital cost of C-V2X vehicle on-board units (OBUs) was estimated at up to $5,000 per unit, depending on the manufacturer. Installation, integration, and verification testing were projected to add approximately $2,000 per unit, with variations based on vehicle type.

SYSTEM COSTS

The table below excerpted from the source report summarized planning-level data for projected V2X application costs at 49 sites on the I-24 Corridor. 

Application

# Locations

Initial Cost

Annual O&M Cost

RSU C-V2X Upgrade

125

$950,000 

$31,250 

On-Board Units

419

$2,933,000  

$293,300 

Intelligent Traffic Signal System

30

$2,750,000  

$80,000 

Reduced Speed / Lane Closure Warning

10

$1,310,000  

$20,000 

Queue Warning

3

$1,400,000  

$20,000 

Spot Weather Warning

1

$340,000 

$22,250 

Curve Speed Warning

4

$640,000 

$20,000 

Road Maintenance

N/A

$500,000 

$50,000 

Red Light Violation Warning

1

$450,000 

$20,000 

System Cost

Replacing DSRC Roadside Units With C-V2X Units on a 28-Mile Section of I-24 in Nashville Estimated to Cost $1.8 Million.

Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) / Connected Vehicle