The U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT) is looking to modernize highway infrastructure by utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies, according to a new contract opportunity posted on SAM.gov.
The contract will be issued by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), according to a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for the Exploratory Advanced Research (EAR) Program.
“This program supports scientific investigations and studies that advance the current knowledge and state-of-the-art in the sciences and technologies employed in the planning, design, construction, operation, maintenance and management of the nation’s highways,” states the solicitation.
The contract looks at two specific areas – the first looks at AI as a key to modernizing highways and using data to implement new building strategies.
Second, the solicitation looks to “new approaches to reduce embodied carbon from infrastructure construction, maintenance, and operations.”
“Strategically, this research will enable and expedite the development of revolutionary approaches, methodologies, and breakthroughs required to drive innovation and greatly improve the efficiency of highway transportation,” the solicitation says.
