FDOT Announces New Wrong-Way Detection Systems

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has made wrong-way driving detection and prevention a top priority by developing wrong-way vehicle detection systems (WWVDS) using technology to improve road safety statewide.

“The new technology includes radar-equipped signs, solar-powered and wireless communications systems and CCTV integration,” a FDOT spokesperson wrote via email. “Each sign is equipped with radar to detect vehicles traveling the wrong way. Once triggered, lights begin to flash to notify the driver they are traveling in the wrong direction. If the driver continues in the wrong direction, the radar alerts the enterprise's Traffic Management Center staff and law enforcement. At the same time, a wrong-way driver notification will appear on electronic messaging boards along the interstate to warn other motorists.”

The new technology includes radar-equipped signs, solar-powered and wireless communications systems and CCTV integration. FDOT District 7 currently operates 53 WWVDS in the field, with 10 set to be completed this summer, 31 in design/construction through other work program projects, six planned for 2025 and 13 for 2026.

FDOT currently manages 106 active WWVDS in the field, with a total of 188 in different stages of development (construction, design and planning). This phased initiative spans across facilities, including recently finished projects in South Florida and ongoing ones in Central Florida.

In addition to the WWVDS initiative, wrong-way driving detection system components will be integrated into ongoing widening projects and various other initiatives. These include the addition of auxiliary lanes to Florida's Turnpike in Broward County, safety enhancements on the First Coast Expressway, widening of Central Polk Parkway from County Road 546 to south of Pace Road, and resurfacing with roadside improvements on Florida's Turnpike from Milepost 265 to 269, among others.

While the initiative's total budget isn't specified, it integrates existing technology innovatively to create a new safety system. “The average WWVDS construction cost per ramp ranges from $90,000 in 2015 to $185,000 in 2022 and more than $200,000 currently,” the spokesperson wrote.