The road is equipped with advanced research infrastructure and has the following features:
- Two paved lanes
- Three bridges, including the Smart Road Bridge (the 2nd tallest state-maintained
bridge in Virginia)
- Full-time staff that coordinate all road activities and oversee operations
- 24/7 access control and oversight
- Lighting and weather system controls
- Safety oversight and surveillance
- Nine roadside equipment units (DSRC) that facilitate connected-vehicle communications
- Two mobile roadside equipment sites (DSRC)
- Fourteen pavement sections, including an open-grade friction course
- In-pavement sensors, including moisture, temperature, strain, vibration, and weigh-in-motion
- An adjacent zero-crown pavement section designed for flooded pavement testing
- An American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)-designated
surface friction testing facility
- 75 weather-making towers
- Artificial snow production of up to four inches per hour (based on suitable weather conditions)
- Production of differing intensities of rain with varying droplet sizes
- Fog production
- Two weather stations
- Official National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Forecast Office within one mile
- Lighting test facility with variable pole spacing and height designed to replicate 95 percent of
national highway systems
- Multiple luminaire heads, including light-emitting diode (LED) modules
- An optical fiber network spanning the Highway section
- Ethernet fiber transceivers and Ethernet switches
- A differential GPS broadcast for precise vehicle locating, covering the entire facility
- A signalized intersection with complete signal phase and timing (SPaT) using remote controls and
DSRC
- Wide shoulder areas for safe maneuvering during experimental testing
