Kentucky to invest $9.5M to address safety on interstates prone to wrong-way crashes

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On Thursday, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced his state would spend $9.5 million to monitor and bolster safety on corridors throughout the state that are prone to wrong-way crashes.

The pilot project is expected to begin this summer and will test the technology on selected ramps in Fayette County before being deployed in other locations later on this fall. Officials said Kentucky’s Wrong-Way Driving and Integrated Safety Technology System would use cutting-edge computing to detect and deter wrong-way incidents by alerting the wrong-way driver, other drivers and emergency responders. Additionally, officials said, the system would improve existing intelligent transportation systems to detect other safety concerns like pedestrians, debris and halted vehicles on the road.

“Wrong-way driving is a major safety issue that can lead to devastating consequences,” Beshear said. “This work will help us keep more Kentucky families safe on our roadways.”

The prime contractor for the project is Stansell Electric and the lead designer is Parsons Engineering, officials said. The technology will be deployed along five interstate ramps initially for the three-month pilot program. The pilot program will test the technologies accuracy, resiliency and capabilities before deploying the technology to final selected locations. Currently, the state is evaluating different vendors and specific technology solutions which will be finalizes before the pilot begins.

The Wrong-Way Driving Safety system will consist of a detection system, a deterrent system, an alert system, and a mainline monitoring system, officials said. The project is funded by a $5.14 million federal grant to improve highway safety on interstate, along with a state match.

“Improving highway safety is a core focus of this administration, and we’re pleased to pilot the latest in technological advancements to help prevent crashes, injuries and fatalities on our roadways,” KYTC Secretary Jim Gray said. “While innovative solutions can be part of the answer to curbing these incidents, it can never replace the need for drivers to make safe driving decisions, like never driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”