New Innovations on The Ray Put Global Spotlight on Georgia

The last few weeks of 2016 brought lots of excitement to The Ray team as they saw two international pilot innovation projects unfold at the Georgia Visitor Information Center at the Georgia/Alabama state line.  More than 150 people showed up for the unveiling of the Wattway solar roadway pilot and the WheelRight tire pressure and tread depth measurement systems as they were opened in a special ceremony hosted by The Ray, Georgia Department of Transportation, Georgia Department of Economic Development and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG).

Friends of The Ray cheered as local and state government officials were driven over the WheelRight tire pressure measurement system (a first in the U.S., funded by KMMG and The Ray).  The U.K.-based WheelRight system provides a free service for Georgia residents and visitors, allowing them to drive over the system and receive immediate feedback on the air pressure in all four tires, measured against recommended safety standards.  The tread depth measurement system is the first installation in the world and provides a much needed service to encourage drivers to pay more attention to tire maintenance to avoid accidents.

After touring WheelRight, the test drivers (and the crowd) moved to the other side of the property to watch the first official drive on the Wattway solar road. This 50 square meters of roadway is the first public drivable surface in the U.S. to generate solar energy, and it was opened just one day before a full scale Wattway road was unveiled in the French village of Tourouvre-au-Perche in Normandy.

Learn more about WheelRight

Learn more about Wattway

Coming soon – Bioswales on The Ray to help address storm water runoff and pollution and to help prevent accidents attributed to standing water and debris.