CHARLESTON, WV — Gov. Jim Justice and the West Virginia Department of Transportation (WVDOT) announced on Oct 11th, the award of a $4.7 million contract to Specialty Groups Inc. to upgrade and install Road Weather Information System (RWIS) stations in West Virginia.

These roadside weather stations collect data on weather and road conditions and transmit it to the WVDOT’s Traffic Management Center (TMC) in Charleston. This enables the WVDOT to promptly alert drivers about adverse weather conditions in real-time, enhancing safety on the roads.

“Making sure our weather stations have the most updated technology to provide accurate information is important to everyone traveling in West Virginia,” Gov. Justice said. “Safety is a top priority, and this funding is really going to help us keep our citizens informed about any potential dangers on the roads before they happen. We want everyone traveling in West Virginia to feel secure and prepared.”

“RWIS is an excellent example of how the WVDOT can utilize technology to have instant access to information about local conditions to make decisions that will result in more effective management of the roadway system and provide important and timely information to motorists,” Ted Whitmore, P.E., director of the WVDOT’s Traffic Engineering Division said.
 
An estimated 5,000 people die every year due to adverse weather conditions on the nation’s highways. About 418,000 people are injured each year due to weather-related crashes. RWIS technology can help reduce these numbers by warning the WVDOT and drivers about dangerous road conditions in real-time.
 
RWIS is a component of WVDOT's overall Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) program. RWIS stations provide the WVDOT with the ability to more effectively manage state roadways and communicate information to users on WV 511 and other platforms in a timely manner with respect to local weather conditions and its effects on the roadway.
 
This information can allow the WVDOT to more efficiently optimize snow removal and ice control operations, identify weather and roadway conditions of concern and interest to motorists, and create site-specific forecasts for specific sections of highway. Data collected by RWIS stations is also provided to third parties, such as the National Weather Service, for weather monitoring and forecasting purposes.
 
The WVDOT operates about 40 RWIS units around the state.