Indiana Toll Road Expands Wrong-Way Driver Detection & Alert System

ITRCC Wrong-Way Driver Detection & Alert System
Locations of the Indiana Toll Road Wrong-Way Driver Detection & Alert System

ELKHART, Ind., January 31, 2023 (Newswire.com) - ITR Concession Company LLC (ITRCC), which connects Ohio to Illinois by 157 miles of road through Northern Indiana, has activated the fourth installation of its Wrong-Way Driver (WWD) detection and alert system on the Exit 5 Eastbound off-ramp in Calumet, Indiana, at mile marker 5.

"Our top priority is safety for all users of the Toll Road," says ITR Concession Company CEO Nic Barr. "We're constantly assessing new systems, technology, and operational techniques to further enhance the safety of our drivers and employees. The Wrong-Way Driver detection system enables us to track wrong-way drivers, help them self-correct, and warn other drivers. It prevents them from getting hurt or hurting others."

This new WWD program is essential to safety along the Indiana Toll Road. During 2022 alone, it identified 97 wrong-way drivers and alerted them they were about to enter the Toll Road in the wrong direction. Nearly all those drivers - 95 - self-corrected, avoiding driving the wrong way on the Toll Road and preventing 95 potential incidents. Two wrong-way drivers did not self-correct, but ITRCC was able to alert law enforcement and other drivers on the road.

The Calumet installation, which went live on Jan. 5, 2023, is the fourth installation of the ITR's Wrong-Way Driver system. The first three installations, which went live during 2020, led to a 75% dramatic decrease in wrong-way drivers from 2021 to 2022 on the Indiana Toll Road. The success of those installations led the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) to award the 2022 Toll Excellence Award for Safety to the ITR Concession Company, which manages the Indiana Toll Road.

The WWD detection system works by establishing three zones: an initial detection zone, a self-correction zone, and an alert zone. Using thermal detectors and high-speed cameras to ascertain when a driver is going the wrong way on an entry or exit ramp, this automatically activates self-correction warnings. The driver is alerted by flashing warning lights that they may be inadvertently approaching the entrance of the Toll Road from the wrong direction. The Indiana State Police are immediately notified about the wrong-way driver. Live video of the wrong-way driver informs ITRCC's Traffic Management Center (TMC), as well. If the driver does not self-correct, the TMC sends out warnings to drivers on the Toll Road via the ITRCC's Dynamic Message Signs (DMS).

"I've seen first-hand the devastating impact of wrong-way driving events and applaud the ITR Concession Company's initiative and investment in this space," says Sgt. Ted Bohner, the Indiana State Police's Public Information Officer.

The Indiana Toll Road currently has the WWD detection systems on four ramps at three locations:

• Exit 5 Eastbound on I-90, at the Calumet Avenue Eastbound off-ramp in Calumet, Indiana
• Exit 56 Eastbound on Interstate 80, at the Rolling Prairie Travel Plaza (3 South Travel Plaza) in Rolling Prairie, Indiana
• Exit 83 Eastbound on I-80, at the Capital Avenue off-ramp (Mishawaka Toll Plaza) in Mishawaka, Indiana
• Exit 83 Westbound on I-80, at the Capital Avenue off-ramp (Mishawaka Toll Plaza) in Mishawaka, Indiana

About the Indiana Toll Road

In operation since 1956, the Indiana Toll Road stretches 157 miles across the northernmost part of Indiana. Connecting areas from Ohio to the Illinois state line, it links Chicago with the largest cities on the eastern seaboard. The Indiana Toll Road - managed by ITR Concession Company LLC (ITRCC) - and its nearly 300 employees are proud to operate a safe and efficient roadway while providing high-quality customer service to serve thousands of patrons every day. ITRCC is indirectly owned by IFM Investors, which is a uniquely structured global fund manager with a strong track record as a responsible steward of some of the world's biggest transportation infrastructure assets.