On a dark, unfamiliar street, you may not see that raised curb or concrete island coming at you.
The Idaho Transportation Department wants to help by trying out a new kind of pavement marker. Taking advantage of the mild winter and plenty of sunshine, ITD is experimenting with solar-powered markers.
ITD bought 600 of the special markers and split them up among its six regional offices. The southeast Idaho office was the first to install them along some stretches of US-30/Garret Way in Pocatello.
The markers are designed to make it easier for drivers to see raised curb islands in the dark, especially in areas where there are fewer streetlights. The markers recharge using solar energy in the daytime and the LED lights glow at night to help distinguish the curbs from the road.
ITD is already getting calls from drivers who like the new markers. The other five ITD districts have earmarked spots for the markers to try them out.
You can see if they make a difference in this video from ITD:
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