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Roadway Operations & Maintenance > Information Dissemination > Highway Advisory Radio


Information dissemination technologies such as dynamic message signs or highway advisory radio can be deployed temporarily, or existing systems can be updated periodically to provide information on work zones or other highway maintenance activities. ITS operators may also send this information to in-vehicle devices capable of displaying traveler information.


Average cost to install a highway advisory radio station ranged from $40,000 to $50,000 as reported by agencies that continue to use this technology.(2017)

A traveler information system with two highway advisory radios and a portable dynamic message sign was deployed in a 3-month pilot test at the Grand Canyon National Park at a cost of $19,600.(March 2009)

The annualized life-cycle costs for full ITS deployment and operations in Tucson were estimated at $72.1 million. (May 2005)

A modeling study evaluated the potential deployment of full ITS capabilities in Cincinnati. The annualized life-cycle cost was estimated at $98.2 million.(May 2005)

The annualized life-cycle costs for full ITS deployment and operations in Seattle were estimated at $132.1 million.(May 2005)

Detailed costs of road weather information systems deployed at several sites north of Spokane, WA.(8 January 2004)

In Arkansas, the contract bid costs for two different automated work zone information system ranged from $390 to $750 per day.(12-16 January 2003)

The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) leased an automated work zone information system in West Memphis for $495,000 which was less than 4% of the total recontruction project cost. West Memphis is one of four locations highlighted in a cross cutting study.(November 2002)

The highway advisory radio (HAR) system deployed at Blewett/Stevens pass in Washington State included a portable HAR unit ($30,000), and two fixed HAR stations ($15,000 each).(July 2001)

Highway Advisory Radio (HAR) can provide route diversion information during periods of congestion when phone and internet travel advisory systems are not available; benefit-to-cost ratios can range from 4:1 to 16:1 assuming a 5 to 20 percent compliance rate.(2017)

A traveler information system for informing visitors to the Grand Canyon National Park of the availability of a shuttle for car-free travel to the Canyon View Information Plaza added 368 shuttle riders per day, an increase of transit mode share by 45.7 percent.(March 2009)

In North Carolina, a survey of local residents near the Smart Work Zone systems found that over 95 percent of motorists surveyed would support use of these systems in the future.(September 2004)

An I-40 work zone in Arkansas equipped with an automated work zone information system had fewer fatal crashes compared to similar sites without the technology.(12-16 January 2003)

A simulation study indicated that integrating traveler information with traffic and incident management systems in Seattle, Washington could diminish delay by 1 to 7 percent, reduce stops by about 5 percent, lower travel time variability by 2.5 percent, and improve trip time reliability by 1.2 percent.(September 1999)