CTDOT Launches New Truck Road Marking Research
The Connecticut Department of Transportation is researching road marking and retro reflectivity with their brand-new pickup truck that collects data. The truck will analyze about 22,000 miles of roadway lanes in Connecticut, saving taxpayer dollars and making highways safer.
The truck will collect data on yellow and white lines, crosswalks, and turn marker areas going left and right. The $200,000 vehicle is equipped with sensors, cameras and strobes from Ireland. Strobes shine light on the roadway lines, and sensors will detect how much light is bouncing back. The trucks' goal is to assess the reflectivity of the lines and the remaining life of painted highway lanes in the state. This will help CTDOT determine whether the lines need to be repainted. Prior to this research, lines were repainted when they did not need to be, wasting taxpayer dollars.
The painted lines are composed of tiny soda lime glass beads that provide retro reflectivity. These roadway lines provide guidance and safety for drivers at night, as all highway lines need to have a minimum amount of reflectiveness for it to be legally drivable.
“[The truck] will give us readings and then we can plot that out on a map and we can tell exactly where on the roadway where the lines are not meeting that minimum standard or where they are starting to degrade,” said Eric Jackson, executive director of the Connecticut Transportation Institute. Dr. Jackson serves as the UConn Site Director within the New England University Transportation Center consortium.
Now, the state can effectively determine which lines need to be repainted in a more efficient manner. The data collection is anticipated to be completed by Spring 2025.
(Photo Source: WTNH News 8)