In an ongoing effort to reduce traffic congestion caused by road construction, the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) is testing a first-of-its kind pilot program to find, inspect, and mitigate work zones in real time.

In coordination with National Work Zone Awareness Week, technologies from Nexar, iCone, and HAAS Alert were demonstrated at a special “Work Zone of the Future” event at the Southern Nevada Traffic Management Center.

“We are excited to be testing a pilot program that has the potential to help improve traffic flows, worker and driver safety, and work zone efficiency,” said RTC CEO Tina Quigley. “Work zone detection and reporting technology is the next level to our Seeing Orange program that we launched nearly four years ago, and we are hopeful these new technologies will provide significant long-term benefits to both commuters and workers throughout our valley.”

A mock construction zone setup showed how innovative technologies are helping engineers and motorists stay ahead of work zones and manage them in real-time. The demonstration included traffic cones, barrels, arrow boards, construction, and inspection vehicles — all outfitted with new technologies that can communicate with passing vehicles and traffic engineers. Attendees saw how technologies broadcasting the location of construction equipment and activity have the potential to change how engineers and commuters plan, implement, and react to construction zones.

Nexar CityStream is a groundbreaking platform that uses Nexar’s connected vehicle network to log thousands of daily updates on the movements of hundreds of traffic cones and their effect on traffic in a three-square-mile pilot area in downtown Las Vegas. The technology will help measure the effects of cones and lane closures on traffic, automate the flow of data into RTC databases, help determine permit compliance with lane closures, streamline construction permit management, and provide more accurate public information.

iCone has 21 state-of-the-art traffic control devices broadcasting their locations from inside the work zone to the traveling public through its partnership with the Waze traffic app. The HAAS Alert system is being tested on RTC inspection and traffic technician vehicles also to report to Waze the location of construction vehicles, equipment, and workers within active construction zones.