Toll industry giant, TransCore, has been selected to deploy its Infinity Digital Lane System along two of North Carolina’s newest Express Lane corridors, with the advanced free-flow tolling technology intended to provide motorists with a high-speed paid-for option during peak travel times.
The North Carolina Turnpike Authority (NCTA) has selected TransCore to design, build, and maintain advanced roadside toll collection systems for the new Monroe Expressway and US 74 Express Lanes projects, both of which are expected to open in 2018. The introduction of express lanes in the area represents a growing national trend to reduce traffic congestion by providing motorists an option to pay for access to designated high-speed lanes during peak travel times. The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) is building the Monroe Expressway, which is currently under construction and extends nearly 20 miles (32km) from US 74 near I-485 in Mecklenburg County to US 74 between the towns of Wingate and Marshville in Union County. TransCore will deploy All-Electronic Tolling (AET) along the expressway that will enable free-flowing travel on the new corridor.
US 74 serves as an important commercial corridor for residents and businesses in Union and Mecklenburg counties as it gives retail, commercial and employment centers in the area direct access to and from the route. The Monroe Expressway will improve mobility and capacity in the US 74 corridor by allowing for high-speed regional travel, while maintaining access to properties along the existing route. Once complete, the Monroe Expressway will be operated by the NCTA. The US 74 Express Lanes project will convert bus lanes in the Charlotte area into reversible, high-occupancy, dynamically-priced express lanes that will provide increased capacity to motorists during peak travel times. The US 74 Express Lanes will feature roadside dynamic message signs (DMS) to inform motorists of variable toll rates based on the current level of congestion.
Both facilities will be equipped with TransCore’s Infinity system, which will consist of automatic vehicle identification, vehicle classification, and video capture and recognition systems that can automatically process transactions in high-volume traffic with one of the highest degrees of accuracy in the industry. The modular blade-based design of the Infinity system combines the best components for each of the individual sub-systems, all of which are then integrated into one complete operating unit. The blades are easily installed, changed, or removed, significantly reducing maintenance and repair times, as each blade has its own power supply, central processing unit (CPU), data storage, and front panel diagnostics and maintenance ports.
“Since its inception in 2002, the North Carolina Turnpike Authority has taken a strategic, innovative approach to solving challenges associated with rapid growth and resulting congestion,” said Whitt Hall, senior vice president of tolling at TransCore. “We are honored that the Authority has placed its trust in our systems and our people, and are excited to develop the state’s most advanced express lane system.”
