Iteris to provide more efficient mobility & traffic management operations during the construction phase of Minnesota’s I-494 improvement project
Iteris has been chosen by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) to provide performance-based maintenance of traffic (MOT) in support of the I-494 Improvement Project in the Minneapolis area.
The $377 million I-494 construction design-build project will be led by C.S. McCrossan Construction, Inc. and aims to improve the portion of I-494 that travels from East Bush Lake Road to 12th Avenue. New E-Z Pass HOV lanes will be installed in both directions, and multiple interchanges and accesses will be reconstructed or reconfigured. It will also include the construction of 12 new bridges, more than 30 retaining walls, new noise abatement walls and new drainage infrastructure.
Iteris will be responsible for monitoring and managing the local arterial network throughout this project to ensure the major construction does not increase delays beyond what MnDOT and local agencies have mandated. The local arterial network will span through the cities of Bloomington, Richfield, Eden Prairie and Edina.
Iteris’ ClearGuide SaaS solution will be used to analyze and visualize traffic data to improve safety and mobility during construction. MnDOT initially purchased a license for Iteris’ ClearGuide in 2019, which provides them with access to powerful features including: dynamic maps to support detailed traffic analysis during construction; features to help identify and mitigate congestion; animations to analyze events and optimize response plans; and historical trend reports and dynamic congestion charts to track reliability and support planning of project detour routes. As a knowledgeable user experiencing the benefits offered by ClearGuide, MnDOT requires its use on the project to monitor local streets.
ClearGuide is a key component of Iteris’ ClearMobility Platform, the world’s most complete solution to continuously monitor, visualize and optimize mobility infrastructure. ClearMobility applies cloud computing, artificial intelligence, advanced sensors, advisory services and managed services to enhance community environments by improving driver and pedestrian safety and travel efficiency.
“The number of roadway accidents continues to skyrocket in the United States, with work zones, which accounted for more than 100,000 accidents in 2020, being points of particular vulnerability,” said Scott Carlson, vice president and general manager, Mobility Professional Services at Iteris. “Iteris is committed to help reverse this trend and is excited to provide real-time traffic data to support safer, more efficient mobility and traffic management operations during the construction phase of Minnesota’s I-494 improvement project.”
This project is the third in the nation that will utilize ClearGuide for maintenance of traffic (MOT) in highway design build construction projects, which Iteris continues to transform with a performance-based approach. Previous projects include the I-405 Improvement Project in Southern California and the I-10 Broadway Curve Improvement in Phoenix, Arizona. Iteris’ ability to provide both the software platform and the expertise needed for performance MOT uniquely positions the company to improve safety, increase mobility and reduce carbon emissions in projects such as these.