LENEXA, Kan. — Kansas City, Missouri-based Integrated Roadways said it wants to bring smart technology to some roadways in Lenexa.
The "smart pavement" infrastructure would include sensors and networking in each slab of the roadway, collecting data in real time.
"It’s like roads built out of Lego blocks," Integrated Roadways founder and chief technology officer Tim Sylvester told 41 Action News. "It’s big slabs, say 12 feet wide by 10 feet long, of precast concrete. When you’re finished, you’re never going to know it’s there, it’s totally invisible."
Integrated Roadways would upgrade five intersections in Lenexa and monitor 72 driving lanes with real-time traffic monitoring. The technology would record and display full traffic history for the city.
"We put a fiber optic-sensing cable inside that can measure when the road deforms," Sylvester said. "The most common way a road deforms is when a car drives over it, so it’s like putting scales in the road that can detect the weight of the vehicles."
If approved, Lenexa would be the first city to have a major smart infrastructure installation.
Lenexa officials believe the technology will save the city money in the long run.
"We can study the longevity of the road and the cost-benefit analysts of putting these panels in the ground and how that can save money for the taxpayer in the future, of not having to tear out asphalt,” Lenexa City Manager Todd Pelham said.
With this one-of-a-kind technology, the city hopes to become an entrepreneurial hub.
"We see it as a recruitment tool," Pelham said. "If we have this technology in the ground, we’re going to be a world case showcase to bring other people to Lenexa."
Integrated Roadways estimates an $8.5 million investment into the project. The city could help out with labor to install the technology.
But with all this technology inside the road, some may be worried about potential privacy concerns.
"We don’t have any idea of who the people in the cars are," Sylvester said. "We’re not using a camera system that records faces or that records license plates. We just know that some car drove over this piece of roadway at this time."
Pelham agreed, adding the city will not track any personal information.
"Data privacy is very important to us," Pelham said. "This is not part of what we’re doing here in Lenexa. We’re not tracking individual car units or license plates."
Ultimately, the road could pay for itself, according to Pelham, who said private companies may want the data.
"“The data that comes off of the road, that would be more like a subscription service that you could sign up for, different data that you would want as a consumer," Pelham said.
The proposal was heard at the Lenexa City Council meeting on Nov. 5. Council members will learn more about the project later on this year.
If approved, Sylvester would like to start working on this project by spring 2020.
