News & Events

Transportation Research Center, Inc. Breaks Ground on SMARTCenter

EAST LIBERTY, Ohio (Jul 9) – Alongside Ohio Governor John R. Kasich and senior state officials, Transportation Research Center Inc. (TRC Inc.), the largest independent automotive proving ground in North America, broke ground today on the SMARTCenter ‒ a state-of-the-art automated and connected vehicle testing facility. The SMARTCenter is designed to test advanced automotive and mobility technologies in a safe, secure, and repeatable real-world environment before the vehicles are deployed on public roads and highways.

“Today’s groundbreaking for the SMARTCenter is the culmination of over five years of collaborative planning with our invaluable industry partners. The addition of the SMARTCenter to TRC Inc.’s already robust portfolio of offerings can only serve to benefit the dedicated group of stakeholders who are pioneering the next innovations in the connected and automated space. We’re proud to put shovels in the ground alongside Governor Kasich and officials from ODOT, DriveOhio, JobsOhio, and The Ohio State University to reinforce Ohio’s commitment to innovation – particularly in transportation technology,” said Brett Roubinek, President and CEO of TRC Inc.

The SMARTCenter is designed to provide a high degree of flexibility in replicating a variety of real-world scenarios for all types of passenger and commercial vehicles. When completed and supported by TRC Inc.’s service offerings, the SMARTCenter will be the largest, most comprehensive contained testing site for advanced vehicle technologies and feature:

• the longest (1.2 miles) and widest (six lanes) connected, signalized intersection in the industry,
• an urban network consisting of movable intersections, roundabouts, and oblique intersection scenarios,
• a 10,000 square foot control building with garage and office space,
• full site access to DSRC and high speed wireless communication,
• and an underground power distribution and fiber network to support current and future test technologies.

“This is a giant step forward in making Ohio the go-to state for developing vehicles and smart transportation technologies of the future,” said Governor John R. Kasich. “The SMARTCenter positions Ohio as the premiere destination for researchers, developers, and manufacturers to test, build, and deploy advanced mobility solutions that will make our roads safer and less congested.”

Projected to take approximately 18 months, construction on the SMARTCenter is expected to be complete by the end of 2019. Funding for the $45 million project is being provided by the State of Ohio, JobsOhio, and The Ohio State University.

SMARTCenter Facts:

• $45 million total funding for Phase 1
• Over 1.1 million square feet of pavement equaling 18.5 lane miles
• Over 700,000 cubic yards – or 51,000 truckloads – of earth moved
• More than 20,000 linear feet of underground conduits to distribute power and fiber optics throughout the site
• The site detention ponds will hold roughly 450 million of gallons water, the equivalent of 681 Olympic sized swimming pools

About Transportation Research Center:
Transportation Research Center Inc. (TRC Inc.) provides a wide range of engineering, research and development, and compliance and certification testing for the mobility industry. With 40-plus years of engineering expertise and industry knowledge, TRC Inc. serves the needs of industries, governments, trade associations, and educational institutions worldwide. TRC Inc. is located on approximately 4,500 acres of land in East Liberty, OH, 40 miles northwest of Columbus, OH. TRC Inc. operates 24/7 with a variety of facilities including road courses, wooded trails, 7.5-mile High-speed Oval Test Track, and a 50-acre Vehicle Dynamics Area. On this expansive facility, TRC Inc. conducts programs designed to test for safety, energy, fuel economy, emissions, durability, performance, noise, crash simulation, and crash-worthiness. Programs evaluate performance of passenger cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles, airplanes, off-road, tracked, alternative-fueled vehicles, and their components.