Few people who travel on U.S. highways are aware that great thought went into the design and construction of the roadways, from the layout of the access ramps, to the type of pavement, to the lighting. Even fewer stop to think about the research that informs the highway planning profession. In fact, highway planning relies on its own research facilities, and they can be elaborate. But few are more elaborate than the Virginia Smart Road – a unique 2.2-mile, two-lane research highway built to Interstate Highway Standards, which is managed by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute and maintained by the Virginia Department of Transportation. It is not open to the public, but rather serves as a laboratory for highway researchers to experiment and to learn. Professor Schofer talks about this research highway with Dr. Tom Dingus, Director of the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute