First “Smart Road” west of Detroit online

(NewsNation) — Is that an accident blocking the road ahead of you, or just a very slow car? Is that a tire in lane three, or a paper bag? Is it raining a few miles down the highway, but further out it’s dry? These and many other questions could be answered instantly, and the answers sent directly to your car, thanks to a new smart road system undergoing its first test right now outside Detroit.

A three-mile stretch of Interstate 94, about halfway between Detroit and Ann Arbor, Michigan, is now connected and collecting data. According to highway technology company Cavnue, it will eventually become a 38-mile “corridor for connected and automated vehicles.”

The pilot program involves a single lane of I-94 monitored by sensors, radar, cameras and other technologies that create a real-time model of road conditions. The data will eventually be fed directly to cars equipped with autonomous vehicle technology.

The data will help drivers “prepare for traffic delays more early, which can reduce both congestion and emissions. The entire project is designed to provide drivers on I-94 with a significantly safer and smoother commute,” Cavnue’s website says.

The smart road will also alert police and traffic authorities, leading to faster response times and more reliable transport services, Cavnue said.

According to Cavnue, choosing the road just outside the Motor City was easy.

“Michigan is the birthplace of the automobile, the site of the first concrete highway, and home to 75% of U.S. automotive R&D investment.”

Ultimately, researchers at major US automobile companies must develop an industry standard for vehicles to communicate with each other and with Cavnue’s intelligent road system.