The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) began installing 35 miles of fiber-optic cable underground this week along U.S. Rte. 33 to aid in the testing of smart vehicles.
The $4.8 million project, which is to run between Dublin and East Liberty, is slated to be finished by October, and most of the cost will be covered by a $15 million state investment. Because the project will be completed off the highway, ODOT does not anticipate any lane closures or restrictions.
One big component of smart-vehicle testing is the ability to reduce the capacity for human error, a factor attributed to 94% of all automobile crashes.
The fiber installation will be completed in four phases. By mid-August, weather permitting, a minimum of 24 strands of fiber-optic cable are expected to be tested and operational. A remaining 432 strands and remaining project work will be slated for completion by October. The project also includes 250 pull boxes to house the cable throughout the corridor.
Federal funding for a smart corridor along Rte. 33 includes a $6 million U.S. Department of Transportation grant given to Union County and the cities of Marysville and Dublin for the smart-mobility corridor. The federal funds likely would go toward nonfiber-optic improvements for the project.
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Source: This Week Community News
