Kapsch TrafficCom (Kapsch) announced I-77 Mobility Partners has awarded it a contract to be the toll system provider and system integrator for the Interstate 77 Express Lanes project in Charlotte, NC.
According to the company, the venture comprises the end-to-end design, installation, and ongoing maintenance of the project’s field-level systems. The project represents North Carolina’s first express lane and concession-led project, as well as one of the first toll facility construction projects in Charlotte.
The express lanes will be constructed within the 26-mile section of the I-77 highway between uptown Charlotte and Mooresville, NC. Kapsch will design and deploy all tolling and traffic management hardware and field systems, including the Toll Collection System, Intelligent Transportation System, and Network Communication System.
As part of a fully-automated managed lanes setup, these integrated components will create a “market effect” on the roadway by enabling the price of the express lanes to adjust according to traffic volume. Drivers can choose to pay the current rate for more reliable travel time, or remain in the general purpose lanes. The tolling equipment will also include the new Vehicle Detection and Classification sensor from Kapsch, which uses stereoscopic video to track and classify vehicles through the entire toll zone, and correlates with tag reads, without the need for in-pavement sensors (which require lane closures to install and maintain).
The express lanes are set to open in October 2018.