Virginia Smart Road

Route information
Maintained by Virginia Department of Transportation
Length| 2.2 mi[1] (3.5 km)

future length 5.7 mi (9.2 km)

Existed| March 2000 (phase one)–present
Major junctions
West end| Western turnaround loop at Transportation Research Drive
East end| Eastern turnaround loop near Wilson Creek Bridge
Location
Country| United States
State| Virginia
Counties| Montgomery County, Virginia
Highway system

* Virginia Routes

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* US
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* History
* HOT lanes

The Virginia Smart Road, also known as simply the Smart Road or Smart Highway,[2] is a short, limited-access road in Montgomery County, Virginia, used for the testing of pavement technologies and as a proving ground for new transportation technologies. The Smart Road is currently a 2.2-mile (3.5 km) stretch of road with turn-around loops at either end. Eventually, the road will be extended to a total of 5.7 miles (9.2 km), directly connecting U.S. Route 460 in Blacksburg to Interstate 81 with an interchange near mile marker 121; however, there is yet to be a set time frame for completion. The Wilson Creek Bridge was built for the Smart Road and, at 175 feet (53 m) tall, is the second tallest bridge in Virginia.[3] The road and bridge are operated and maintained by the Virginia Department of Transportation.[1] It is also part of the Proposed Interstate 73 Corridor.

## Features

[edit]

Smart Road features and operations include, but are not limited to:[1]

* A 2.2-mile, controlled-access test track built to interstate standards
* Two paved lanes
* Three bridges, including the Smart Road Bridge (the second tallest state-maintained bridge in Virginia)
* Full-time staff that coordinate all road activities
* 24/7 access control and oversight
* Centralized communications
* Lighting and weather system controls
* Safety assurance and surveillance
* Fourteen pavement sections, including an open-grade friction course
* In-pavement sensors (e.g., moisture, temperature, strain, vibration, weigh-in-motion)
* Zero-crown pavement section designed for flooded pavement testing
* An American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)-designated surface friction testing facility
* Seventy-five weather-making towers accessible on crowned and zero-crown pavement sections
* Artificial snow production of up to four inches per hour (based on suitable weather conditions)
* Production of differing intensities of rain with varying droplet sizes
* Fog production
* Two weather stations with official National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather available within one mile
* Variable pole spacing designed to replicate 95 percent of national highway systems
* Multiple luminaire heads, including light-emitting diode (LED) modules
* A wireless mesh network variable control (i.e., luminaire dimming)
* A high-bandwidth fiber network
* A differential GPS base station
* Complete signal phase and timing (SPaT) using remote controls
* Wide shoulders for safe maneuvering during experimental testing

## Segments

[edit]

Phase  | Project  | Completion

|
|

1  | 1.78 mi (2.86 km) two-lane testbed with western end turnaround  | March 2000
2  | 2,000 ft (610 m) Wilson Creek Bridge and eastern end turnaround  | May 2001
3  | 3.7 mi (6.0 km) extension to I-81 at mile marker 121  | TBA
Future  | Widening entire 5.7 mi (9.2 km) roadway to four lanes  | TBA

In 1994, VDOT unveiled two alternate routes for the Smart Road partially to avoid smooth purple coneflower populations in Ellett Valley.[4]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c "The Virginia Smart Road". Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. Retrieved 2014-06-01.
2. ^ Kozel, Scott M. (February 19, 2004). "The Smart Road". Roads of the Future. Retrieved 2009-05-04.
3. ^ "Corridor Q: Route 460 Connector - Phase I". VDOT. February 24, 2016. Retrieved 2016-03-21.
4. ^ "Flower that rerouted Smart Road removed from endangered list". The Roanoke Times. 8 July 2022. Retrieved 2022-07-09.

## External links

[edit]

* Virginia Smart Road
* Virginia Tech Transportation Institute
* Virginia Department of Transportation

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