The state will invest 15 million dollars to support research in self-driving highway technology along a 35-mile stretch of U.S. Route 33 between Dublin and East Liberty. The investment was announced Wednesday in conjunction with a self-driving truck made by Otto, which made its first run on the route. The run was postponed from Monday due to the Ohio State University attacks. Ohio Department of Transportation director Jerry Wray says ODOT is working with Honda, Union County and the state's Center for Automotive Research to make the four-lane section a corridor where technologies can be safely tested in real-life traffic, aided by a fiber-optic cable network and sensor systems slated for installation next year.
Local governments in the region are also involved. The truck is also slated to travel on the Ohio Turnpike later this week.