Weigh-in Motion (WIM) systems allow the measurement of vehicle weight and axle loads as vehicles drive over sensors embedded in the roadway. One evaluated system (System 1) included commercially available quartz piezo-electric sensors and controllers, and another (System 2) utilizes strain-gauge technology to determine vehicle weight. Daily observation data including counts, gross vehicle weight, and vehicle speed were collected from the systems installed on MnROAD along I-94, starting in late 2015 through mid-2016, for later statistical analysis and comparison.

The costs of the two types of WIM systems are summarized below and in Table 1:

• System 1 utilizes quartz piezo-electric sensors. The equipment cost of these sensors is about $28,000 per lane; installation costs range from $15,000 to $18,000 per lane. This results in a total estimated cost of $43,000 to $46,000 per lane.
• System 2 utilizes strain-gauge technology; the materials cost is about $21,340 per lane and the installation costs range from $15,000 to $18,000 per lane. This results in a total estimated cost of $36,340 to $39,340 per lane.

Table 1. Summarized costs of Systems 1 and 2.