Sensors Strengthen Safety on The Ray Highway in West Georgia
LaGrange and West Point, Georgia | Deployed on 4G LTE networks
SCENARIO
Along highways like I-85 in West Georgia, crash cushions, guardrails, cable barriers, end terminals, and other roadside safety devices play a vital role in protecting motorists during collisions. But even minor crashes can compromise the devices’ protective function.
Historically, damage detection has relied on manual inspections or incidental discovery by law enforcement or road crews. Without visible damage or formal incident reports, assets can remain unrepaired for weeks or even months.
This approach leaves gaps in safety and poses a challenge for The Ray Highway, an 18-mile stretch of I-85 designed as a proving ground for transformative ideas and technologies for transportation infrastructure.
SOLUTION
The Ray, a national nonprofit, and its partners at the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) oversaw the deployment of an Impact Detection System, featuring pi-lit® connected roadway products, along high-risk segments of I-85.
The team installed lightweight, battery-powered sensors directly onto crash cushions and other safety assets—each deployed in under a minute without tools or specialized hardware. These sensors detect impact events and transmit alerts via a local mesh radio network to a centralized cellular gateway, providing real-time visibility into the condition of roadside safety equipment.
RESULTS
The I-85 deployment by The Ray and GDOT demonstrates how quickly officials can bring smart infrastructure online to expedite response and repair times and ultimately reduce the risk of secondary crashes. With each $15,000 crash cushion now monitored for less than $1 per day, and with sensor battery life of up to four years, the new system provides a cost-effective alternative to manual inspections.
The solution is scalable as well, integrating with state monitoring and transportation management systems, dispatch systems, and cloud platforms such as Waze and Google Maps.
About CTIA
CTIA represents the U.S. wireless communications industry and companies throughout the mobile ecosystem. Our members provide the wireless networks, devices, equipment, and solutions that make smart cities possible. This includes the connectivity solutions behind smart transportation deployments. CTIA members are also drivers of 5G, the next generation of wireless. As advanced networks roll out across the nation, 5G will allow up to 100 times more simultaneous connections, up to 100 times faster connectivity, and lower latency, which is key for innovations like intelligent transportation systems. Due to the tremendous amount of private investment necessary to bring advanced networks to life, collaboration between industry and the public sector is paramount. As we look ahead to the exciting possibilities of smart cities technologies, CTIA is committed to helping communities of all sizes become the cities of the future.
Reference
Connectivity in Motion: Intelligent Transportation Infrastructure An industry use case guide (page 47)
For additional use cases, visit: townsquare.ctia.org/page/playbooks
