OpenRoad Link: A Public-Private Data Exchange for Safer, Smarter Trucking

Work zones, lane closures, and traffic incidents significantly impact roadway safety and efficiency. When lanes are blocked due to construction, crashes, or other disruptions, roadways no longer function as designed—leading unexpected congestion, increased crash risk, and reduced operational reliability. Many work zones are established to perform critical maintenance on aging infrastructure—essential to improving durability and extending the service life of roadways—but they also introduce temporary risks and delays that must be better managed. Effects of lane blockages are particularly severe for commercial motor vehicles (CMVs), which require more time and space to slow or reroute and are subject to strict hours-of-service regulations that make delays especially costly. This project proposes to develop and evaluate a data exchange framework—OpenRoad Link—to integrate and share real-time lane closure, work zone, and incident data from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT), the Oklahoma City and Tulsa Traffic Operations Centers (TOCs), and other key transportation and traffic enforcement partners. To build this framework, the project will first identify and assess the roadway data already collected and shared by these agencies, as well as the types of information currently accessible to the CMV industry through private telematics platforms. Building on national standards such as the Work Zone Data Exchange and SAE J2735 (the standard message set for vehicle-to-everything communications), the project will extend the data scope to include lane-blocking crashes, maintenance activities, and other short-term or unplanned restrictions not currently emphasized in existing feeds. Through collaboration with ODOT, city TOCs, and trucking industry partners—including a pilot with a major trucking company such as ABF—the project will demonstrate the delivery of curated, high-value information directly to in-cab devices or fleet management systems. Key tasks will include identifying and cataloging roadway and incident data currently collected by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the Traffic Operations Centers (TOCs) of Oklahoma City and Tulsa, as well as evaluating what information is already being shared with the commercial vehicle industry through private telematics platforms. The project will establish partnerships with ODOT, city transportation and public safety agencies, and private industry stakeholders to design and implement a unified, standards-compliant data exchange framework. Following the design phase, the team will develop and deploy the OpenRoad Link data feed, ensuring compliance with existing national standards and verifying data accuracy and reliability. A pilot deployment will be conducted in collaboration with a trucking company using a selected in-cab device to deliver actionable, real-time information directly to CMV drivers. Anticipated outcomes include improved safety for CMV drivers, a reduction in secondary crashes, enhanced freight reliability, and a validated proof-of-concept for scalable public-private data exchange. By producing a replicable model for collaboration between state DOTs and private-sector technology providers, the project aims to accelerate national adoption of interoperable safety data systems and promote safer, more efficient freight transportation.

• Record URL:
  • https://www.sptc.org/cy3-ou-06

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $65,000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  69A3552348306 (CY3-OU-06)

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Southern Plains Transportation Center

  University of Oklahoma
  202 W Boyd St, Room 213A
  Norman, OK  United States  73019

  Oklahoma Department of Transportation

  200 NE 21st Street
  Oklahoma City, OK  United States  73105
• Managing Organizations:

  University of Oklahoma, Norman

  School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science
  202 West Boyd Street, Room 334
  Norman, OK  United States  73019
• Project Managers:

  Ghasemi, Hamid

• Performing Organizations:

  University of Oklahoma, Norman

  School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science
  202 West Boyd Street, Room 334
  Norman, OK  United States  73019
• Principal Investigators:

  Barnes, Ronald

  Havlicek, Joseph

• Start Date: 20260101
• Expected Completion Date: 20270101
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: UTC

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Data sharing; Driver information systems; Lane closure; Real time information; Traffic incidents; Trucking; Work zones
• Identifier Terms: Oklahoma Department of Transportation
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Motor Carriers;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01975696
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Southern Plains Transportation Center
• Contract Numbers: 69A3552348306 (CY3-OU-06)
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Jan 6 2026 8:59AM