Arizona State Transportation Board approves contract for ADOT's wrong-way driving detection system

ADOT officials announced Friday that the State Transportation Board has approved a bid to install a wrong way driving detection system.

In a statement, officials said the State Transportation Board has conditionally approved a $1.89 million bid from Contractors West Inc. of Mesa to install the system, and construction is scheduled to begin in early August.

The board's decision came after Gov. Doug Ducey called for state agencies to combat the deadly issue. The board approved a $3.7 million plan to construct a system using thermal camera technology that officials say will help curb the problem through early warning methods.

"In this particular case, they'll be used for detecting the motion for a vehicle that enters the offramp in the wrong direction," said Doug Nintzel with ADOT.

The Arizona Department of Transportation says the system will be the first of its kind across the United States. Officials say the chosen company will install the system beginning early next month.

The project will use thermal-detection cameras to sense wrong-way vehicles and alert those drivers and others on the freeway with warning signs and advisories.

"The detection will illuminate wrong way signs on those offramps, in an effort to get attention of the wrong way driver," said Nintzel. "If we can get them to self-correct, that would be great as well."

The Associated Press (AP) contributed to this report.