Ely Road will be closed for approximately one mile between Wright Brothers Blvd. and 76th Ave. SW for partially automated vehicle testing. The closure will start on March 11 and will be closed daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., including weekends. The study is expected to last 6-8 weeks and will end in late April. Electronic message boards will be placed at each end of the closure informing motorists of any changes to the schedule.
The testing is being performed by the National Advanced Driving Simulator (NADS) at the University of Iowa. This study is monitoring how drivers engage in everyday driving tasks while using an autonomous vehicle, which could influence future designs.
“This study is expected to provide valuable information about automated vehicle technology; however, we also want to minimize the impact of the closure on the traveling public, which is why the closure times are set to take place after the morning commute and before the evening commute home. We appreciate the public’s patience while the vehicle testing is underway,” said Linn County Engineer Brad Ketels.
Traffic should follow the posted detour (PDF).