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…