The Real Information Superhighway

"Information will soon be whizzing along Colorado highways. While vehicles zoom over the paved roads, the information will be transmitted through fiber-optic conduits being buried along interstate roadways from Kansas to Utah and in a ring around Denver. The 1,200 miles of fiber-optic lines will turn the interstates into true information highways. The benefits of these "smart" highways will be felt by everyone, from motorists to cable TV companies to the Colorado Department of Transportation. For drivers, the highway fiber-optic system will mean safer traveling because there will be more up-to-the-minute information on road conditions, weather and hazards. Drivers will be able to log on to the Internet and see road conditions recorded by roadside cameras and electronic weather devices. Along the way, more roadside electronic message boards or radio advisories will let drivers know of rockslides, avalanches, weather delays, traffic bottlenecks and other inconveniences."