MISSOULA — It's summer in Montana, which means construction.
So, if you're driving on the interstate and see orange signs indicating a lane closure or pilot car, you'll want to prepare for road changes.
Roadway safety is one of the main the reasons behind the Western Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (WASHTO) conference in Missoula this week.
Attendees, including many from the Montana Department of Transportation, visited Street Smart and got a test drive through a course with remotely controlled traffic signals.
Often, flaggers will stand by construction zones to usher cars through the area. However, that can put the person at risk being on the roadway.
To offer an alternative, Jeff Hollenback started Superior Traffic Services and added Jonathan Walther, a former employee at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, to the team.
The team created a small machine that can direct stop lights at construction sites or points of congestion anywhere in the country.
All signal devices are equipped with a controller, redundant radar, and video detection.
Meaning contractors can stay in the loop on their project 24/7.
"These aren't going to replace all flaggers. It's think of it as kind of an augmentation for the contractor. Once contractors have them, they kind of wonder why they didn't start using them 5 years ago," Street Smart Director of Business Development Brady Markell said.
This innovation is at the center of freeway fixes, making Missoula a hub for construction nationwide
