Communications Infrastructure and Two Safety Systems for Crash Avoidance, Wrong-Way Driver Detection and Curve Departure Warning, were Installed at 44 Pilot Locations and Off-Ramps on the I-85/I-40 Route in North Carolina.
North Carolina, United States
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) I-85/I-40/NC540 Foundations for Automated and Safer Transportation Project is set to add a fiber-optic trunk line connection between the state's two largest Transportation Management Centers (TMC) along I-85/I-40, once it is completed. The primary objective of this investment is to create opportunities for NCDOT and the private sector to jointly utilize the communications infrastructure. The project study estimated the long-term benefits of the project, which include the installation of two safety systems, namely wrong-way driver detection and curve departure warning, at 15 pilot locations along I-85/I-40 to deter wrong-way driver and curve departure crashes. Additionally, countermeasures for wrong-way drivers are to be installed at 29 off-ramps along the North Carolina Turnpike Authority's (NCTA's) Triangle Expressway. The project is also expected to add technology to interstate alternate routes and aid in integrated corridor management (ICM). The added wireless communication infrastructure will support future connected and automated vehicle technology. The project construction is scheduled to be completed by mid-2024.
Construction Costs
The capital costs for the project included the costs for completion of the fiber‐optic backbone and deployment of a suite of ITS improvements. The capital costs were applied over a two‐year construction period, beginning in late 2022 and ending in mid‐ 2024. The capital costs for the project discounted at seven percent totaled to $16.7 million. The cost of each project element is shown in Table 1. The total construction costs amounted to $25.713 million.
Table 1: Construction Costs in 2020 Dollars
| Description | Cost |
| Component 1: Fiber-Optic Trunkline | $9.467 Million |
| Component 1: Integrated Corridor Management | $7.251 Million |
| Component 2: Wrong-way Driver Detection and Notification Systems – I-85/I-40 | $1.803 Million |
| Component 3: Dynamic Curve Warning Systems | $1.674 Million |
| Component 4: Advanced Analytics | $773 Thousand |
| Component 5: Wrong-way Drive Detection and Notification Systems – Toll NC 540 | $4.745 Million |
| Total Cost | $25.713 Million |
Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Costs
The total operation and maintenance costs over the 2024-2043 analysis period discounted at 7 percent was $5.4 million.
- The same sensors and infrastructure costs were expected every 10 years due to the need for replacement of sensors and infrastructure.
- Annual O&M costs for ITS components and fiber-optic was estimated at $200,000 and $120,000, respectively, based on USDOT ITS JPO Cost Database.
- Wrong way driver detection and notification system: $7,500 annually
- Dynamic Curve warning system sites: $7,500 or less annually
