When the city of Lenexa, Kan., this spring opted to move forward with a test pilot of “smart pavements,” (ENR 5/2-5/9, p. 10) it represented a step forward after nearly a decade of efforts for Integrated Roadways—not just for the company founded by Tim Sylvester, but for attempts to make roads smarter in an industry that has been focused on smarter vehicles.
“It’s been a whirlwind,” says Sylvester, whose Smart Pavement technology has since undergone a demonstration for Cisco and Ford Motor Co. in Detroit. The results included a partnership with Cisco, and “we ended up being part of [a keynote speech] where they were talking about digital infrastructure for the next generation of vehicles,” says Sylvester.