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Non-invasive road sensors in RWIS and AVL systems

Status:  Complete
Project Start Date:  03/29/2018

Summary:

The Road Weather Technology (RWT) group plans to implement non-invasive road temperature and road condition sensors on three Road Weather Information Systems (RWIS) located throughout Minnesota. Current passive road sensors are embedded in the road surface. Whenever there is a construction or maintenance project that impacts the road surface (mill and overlay, seal-coating, patching, etc.), the embedded sensor must be replaced. This, and periodic RWIS site and sensor maintenance, requires lane closures and cutting the road surface to install the sensor and cables. The non-invasive sensors will be attached to the RWIS tower or a pole near the roadway and uses laser technology to read the road surface temperature and condition (water ice, slush, and snow); subsequently, future road projects do not impact the sensor and periodic maintenance does not require lane closures.

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