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“During peak season, MoDOT has up to 800 work zones active every day. Having the Missouri Work Zone Safety Center of Excellence as a resource will be a great asset in our efforts to drive down work zone fatalities and serious injuries.”
Ed Hassinger
MoDOT Chief Engineer
As the State of Missouri embarks on the expansion of Interstate 70, the vital east-west transportation corridor connecting St. Louis and Kansas City, researchers at the University of Missouri are preparing to leverage its proven expertise in highway work zone safety research to help keep drivers and workers safe throughout the program.
Researchers at the University of Missouri’s College of Engineering recently established the Missouri Work Zone Safety Center of Excellence. Their goal is to lead research and outreach on developing solutions to achieve zero fatalities and serious injuries in work zones. These research projects are being funded by grants from MoDOT and the Federal Highway Administration.
The center’s research efforts will focus on four key areas:
- Integration of emerging technologies like smart work zones and autonomous vehicles.
- Use of data and tools such as artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to improve safety and predict crash risk.
- Developing countermeasures to address distracted driving and other adverse driving behaviors to improve worker safety.
- Developing accommodations for vulnerable road users such as bicyclists, pedestrians and people with disabilities.
The center is able to utilize MU’s transportation simulation lab, called ZouSim, to study innovative solutions without putting drivers or others on the road at risk before they are ready for real-life implementation.
During peak season, MoDOT has up to 800 work zones active every day across Missouri, so the Missouri Work Zone Safety Center of Excellence is a helpful asset to reduce work zone incidents. You can learn more about this center and its research projects on its website.
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