Automotive Companies have invested billions into self-driving vehicles technology; however, none were spent on the road network fully designated for the autonomous transportation tech until now. For promoting and making the most out of these futuristic vehicles, Cavnue will be building the world’s first autonomous road network.
The state of Michigan, in collaboration with mobility firm Cavnue, is set to build a 40-mile passage that will connect downtown Detroit to Ann Arbor through an autonomous roadway of the future.
The mobility firm will conduct a feasibility examination to assess the utilization of this new form road. The corridor will serve to improve safety, congestion issues, and accessibility of the road networks connecting the two states.
The corridor will not intervene with existing road networks. It will allow them to handle more commuters, providing critical access to communities with long-standing transportation and transit gaps.
The project is set to meet transportation goals. It will start with connected buses and shared mobility vehicles. It is planned to eventually evolve the project in a manner so that additional autonomous cars and freight carriers are also included to make the most of this new type of advanced road network. Cavnue will start with a development period that will last 24 months and test different types of technologies and infrastructures.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer, on Friday, during the project announcement, said, “The action we’re taking today is good for our families, our businesses, and our economy as a whole. Here in Michigan, the state that put the world on wheels, we are taking the initial steps to build the infrastructure to help us test and deploy the cars of the future.”
Whitmer also added that the state would continue working to build smart infrastructure to help prepare for the roads of tomorrow and help secure the state’s position as the automotive capital of the world.
Cavnue will work with the Michigan Department of Transportation, the Michigan Office of Future Mobility and Electrification, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, and industry partners such as Ford, GM, BMW, Toyota, Honda, TuSimple and Waymo.
