WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) today awarded an $8 million Advanced Transportation and Congestion Management Technologies Deployment (ATCMTD) grant to the University of Alabama for the Advanced Connected Transportation Infrastructure and Operations Network (ACTION).

“These highly innovative projects offer high-tech solutions to relieve congestion and improve safety and efficiency on the nation’s highways,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao.

The funds will be used to deploy advanced technologies – including camera, communications, sensor, and data-collection technologies – on roadways in and around Tuscaloosa. Spearheaded by the University of Alabama, ACTION is a multi-agency partnership to leverage technological advances to enhance efficiency, capacity, and safety on the region’s road network. The initiative’s goal is to improve travel reliability.

“These technological tools are helping to support a transportation system that is equipped for the future,” said Deputy Federal Highway Administrator Brandye L. Hendrickson.

FHWA’s ATCMTD program funds early deployments of cutting-edge technologies that can serve as national models to improve travel for commuters and businesses. This year, the program funded 10 projects valued at $53 million that range from advanced real-time traveler information to Integrated Corridor Management and vehicle communications technologies, paving the way for connected and autonomous vehicles and congestion-relieving traffic management systems.

The ATCMTD program was established under the “Fixing America’s Surface Transportation” (FAST) Act. State departments of transportation, local governments, transit agencies, metropolitan planning organizations, and other eligible entities were invited to apply under the program.