HOPKINSVILLE, KY – Motorists on state primary and secondary routes in all 11 of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 2’s counties may see unique survey vehicles on the roadway over the next few weeks. This includes Christian County and Hopkinsville roads.

These vehicles are called SCRIM® trucks (Sideway-force Coefficient Routine Investigation Machines), and they will be collecting data to be used in analyzing the connection between highway crashes and degree of pavement friction.

The vehicles will travel approximately 1,761 miles of state roadway across the district in the coming weeks. As they move, the SCRIMs will apply a three-to-four-inch trail of water on the roadway’s surface. An onboard measurement mechanism will continuously measure friction across the pavement as it travels, including through curves, grade changes, intersections, on/off ramps and work zones – places where friction is the most critical to safe maneuvering. The SCRIM is only spraying water on the roadway, which is expected to evaporate within 10 minutes.

Motorists who encounter one of the SCRIM vehicles can expect some slight delays as these large vehicles travel slightly slower than the posted speed limit. On roadways with a 50 mph or higher limit, they will move at just 50 mph. On roads that are posted 40-45 mph, they will move at 40 mph. On any roadways that are posted lower than 40 mph, they will travel at the posted limit.

SCRIMs are very large vehicles, measuring 8’4” wide, 33’ long, 12’5” tall and weighing as much as 24 tons. They carry up to 2,200 gallons of water, enough to measure up to 150 miles of roadway. The trucks are scheduled to arrive in the District on August 6. They will be working 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and expect to conclude their survey by Aug. 25.

This is the sixth year the survey has been conducted in Kentucky. In 2020, KYTC awarded WDM USA a contract to perform annual continuous friction data collection on approximately 15,000 miles of Interstate, Parkway, State Primary, and State Secondary roads. Survey data is being used to evaluate the relationship between friction and crashes on KYTC-maintained roads and to assist in making better informed decisions about materials, maintenance and safety countermeasure selection. Through this data, KYTC aims to better understand how pavement friction management can contribute to the shared goal of preventing fatalities and serious injuries on Kentucky roads.

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