The second phase of construction on SunTrax, the Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) autonomous vehicle test facility, will begin soon.
SunTrax is the first state-owned facility of its kind in the country.
“In order for Florida to have a modern transportation system that meets the needs of our residents, businesses, and visitors, we must embrace emerging technology,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said. “Once completed, SunTrax will further strengthen Florida’s position as a national leader in automated vehicle testing and research.”
Phase two will construct areas in the infield to challenge and test autonomous vehicles. Shipping containers will be used to simulate a city environment. Construction is expected to be completed in late 2021.
Phase one was completed in 2019 and included the construction of a 2.25-mile oval track on 475 acres in Polk County.
Once completed, the facility will feature a simulated urban area, a pick-up/drop-off area to replicate multimodal passenger travel, a geometry track made up of complex horizontal and vertical curves, and an augmented reality pad to create immersive, computer-generated environments.
FDOT will lease SunTrax to companies working in the connected and autonomous vehicles industry.
DeSantis and FDOT Secretary Thibault visited SunTrax in January to see the construction’s progress.