An interview about the Ennomotive Challenge with I-77 COO David Hannon

Interstate 77 is located in Northern Charlotte, North Carolina. This freeway deals with lots of congestion so our subsidiaries Cintra and Ferrovial Agroman added electronic-tolled express lanes along 26 miles of this highway. These lanes are located next to the general-purpose lanes and are separated by plastic delineators. The objective of the plastic delineators is to prevent toll violators from entering or exiting the toll lane without paying.

We have teamed up with Cintra and Ennomotive to find innovative solutions in the maintenance of these delineators while also complying with the contract requests. To do so, we’ve launched a contest to encourage people to send us their ideas. We interviewed David Hannon, the Chief Operations Officer for the I-77 Mobility Partners concessionaire company, to learn more about the challenge.

Ennomotive Challenge

What work and responsibilities does the team normally carry out on the I-77 Toll Road?

The Service Team provides roadway and right of way maintenance, including mowing, debris cleanup and road repair. Additionally, the Service Team helps drivers with minor roadside emergencies, such as jumping a battery or changing a tire. The Service Team also collaborates with law enforcement and emergency responders on incident response, assisting with traffic control and roadway cleanup and coordinating vehicle removal as requested. 

What current challenges are there on Interstate 77 in Charlotte?

The high volumes of traffic on I-77 poses a potential safety issue to our workers who maintain the highway every day. The delineators separate the express lanes from the general purpose lanes and are two feet away from traffic on each side. The delineators must stay clean so they are visible to drivers and the delineators must be replaced if damaged to maintain an adequate safety barrier between the lanes.

Why did you decide to open this challenge up to the public?

We are looking for innovative thinking with a fresh perspective. The best way to get that is to open it up to the public, especially those who don’t normally work in this industry and don’t have existing biases.

What type of person or group should participate in the challenge?

Anyone with an idea that can help us!  We’re looking for creative solutions to clean/replace the delineators faster or with less manpower.

What kind of proposals do you expect to receive?

Ideas on how to reduce cleaning time, reduce cleaning frequency, and automation for replacements or cleaning.

What happens if your proposal is selected?

The winner of the selected proposal will be coordinated with directly to bring their idea to fruition. 

When do proposals have to be submitted?

Proposals are due by April 6.

How do you expect these solutions to help I-77? 

The winning solution will provide a safe environment for the Service Team to clean and replace the delineators per contract requirements while at the same time reducing our overall maintenance cost of the delineators.