WISCONSIN

Tech upgrades for autonomous vehicles to aid Foxconn are part of widening plans for I-94

Lee Bergquist
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The massive $496 million reconstruction of the I-94 North-South freeway that widens the road from three lanes to four in each direction is being built with infrastructure for an altogether different motoring experience.  

Vehicles that handle some of the duties of driving. 

The 18.5-mile upgrade that runs from south of College Avenue to Highway 142 in Kenosha County is intended to ease congestion on a roadway where traffic is expected to grow from a current range of 83,000 to 153,000 vehicles a day to 100,000 to 200,000 vehicles daily by 2034, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

Northbound traffic passes construction work on I-94 in the Village of Caledonia. Part of the upgrade to four lanes in each direction includes infrastructure for driverless vehicles. But more upgrades will be required to help make technology a reality.

Another key focus, state officials say, is that the upgrade will help Foxconn Technology Group automate the shipping of goods and people for its Mount Pleasant campus, and move freight from Mitchell International Airport to operations in Racine County.

RELATED:Wisconsin lands $160 million for I-94 south upgrade to help smooth Foxconn project

The tech upgrades being built into the freeway were a key selling point when Wisconsin received a $160 million grant for the project from the U.S. Department of Transportation in June.  

Autonomous driving faces hurdles

But the rollout of so-called autonomous technology, which allows vehicles to drive themselves or take over some functions of driving, is uncertain.

The upgrade to the I-94 North-South freeway envisions self-driving technology in the coming years.

Widespread autonomous driving still faces regulatory hurdles as the automotive industry wrestles with a host of issues, including fatalities in some test cars such as those involving Uber and Tesla.

A Wisconsin DOT spokesman said his agency can’t say what types of new driving innovations will be in place when all eight lanes of I-94 open by Memorial Day 2020 or when work is finished in 2021.

“Nobody knows for certain at this time,” said Michael Pyritz of the DOT. “This is a rapidly evolving technology.”

In a statement, Foxconn did not provide specific timelines for the use of autonomous vehicles. But the Taiwan-based company said it views the technology as an integral part of its $10 billion operation that will produce liquid crystal display panels.

Foxconn said its first building will be completed by the end of this year and expects some business operations to start then or in early 2019.

A new video from Foxconn depicts a futuristic, park-like campus in Mount Pleasant where self-driving vehicles would figure into the operations that the company is calling Wisconn Valley Science & Technology Park.

In one instance in the video, a woman is reading as she is driving through the complex.

“We view autonomous and electric vehicles as a future mode of transportation and the scenarios shown in the video are only a few of the many possible uses and applications of such vehicles both on and off-campus,” the company said in a statement to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Wisconsin’s grant application to federal officials describes the use of autonomous, self-driving vehicles to move freight and people on Braun Road and Highway KR east of I-94 to Foxconn facilities.

Advanced transportation technology

The DOT said both roads will have two lanes outfitted with infrastructure for vehicles using so-called “CAV” technology — which stands for connected and automated vehicle — and would be in place by the end of 2020.

CAV equipment on I-94 North-South also was installed in the Zoo Interchange corridor. That includes: closed-circuit television; dynamic message signs alerting motorists of trouble ahead; microwave detectors to report travel times and congestion in real time; and fiber optic communications.

Pyritz said the difference with I-94 is the technology now going into the North-South freeway will serve as a building block for later upgrades.

“We are putting in the basic infrastructure and we will scale up to meet the needs — whatever that is,” he said.

In its most advanced state, CAV technology uses wireless communications, cameras, radar and another navigation tools known as lidar on vehicles that send out laser pulses to measure distances to keep specially equipped cars and trucks on track.

In Foxconn’s case, the vehicles would be capable of shuttling 4,000 workers per shift from parking lots west of I-94, according to DOT documents.

Kevin Muhs, deputy director of the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission and a transportation engineer, said a low-speed shuttle operating on a familiar route is one type of autonomous driving that appears to have near-term promise.

Muhs said he has no direct knowledge of Foxconn’s plans, but said generally, “I think those are pretty close to being rolled out.”

Foxconn appears to be focused on using the technology to move goods, at least initially.

In its statement, Foxconn said, “our priority for transportation plans related to the park is the transportation of parts and components, materials and finished goods within the campus.”

According to the DOT’s grant application, the agency plans to seek future federal funding for technical upgrades along I-94 from the airport to the Racine-Kenosha County line.

RELATED:I-94 shoulders could become lanes for self-driving trucks

In March, Transportation Secretary Dave Ross raised the possibility of self-driving trucks using the shoulder of I-94 between Foxconn and the airport to move equipment as the factory is being built.

One possibility is “platooning,” which allows two or more trucks to operate at close distances to each other using wireless technology that can control the speed and braking of all vehicles simultaneously.

Drivers still control the steering and can resume control of the truck when necessary. Platooning saves fuel and maximizes space on roadways, supporters say.

In April, Gov. Scott Walker signed into law a bill that would remove distance restrictions for large trucks using platooning.

A DOT PowerPoint by Brett Wallace, the DOT’s Foxconn project director, shows options the agency is thinking about: The right shoulder could be converted to a truck lane, or one of I-94’s four lanes in one direction would be converted to truck use.

The DOT’s Pyritz downplayed any imminent plans but noted that buses have dedicated use of the shoulder on freeways in Minneapolis and St. Paul. The Twin Cities’ Metro Transit says it now has more than 300 miles of freeway shoulder lanes available to commuting buses.

Airport officials have not been involved to date in Foxconn’s logistics plans.

“The airport is aware of the state and local discussions regarding autonomous vehicles lanes, but have not yet been a part of any detailed or formal planning process,” said Pat Rowe, marketing and public relations manager at the airport.