SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — On Thursday, the Utah Department of Transportation was awarded a $20 million grant to start employing vehicle-to-everything — or V2X — technology in Utah.

According to UDOT, V2X technology “uses sensors and wireless connectivity so vehicles can connect to and communicate with drivers and their surroundings to enhance road safety, mobility, and efficiency.”

READ NEXT: Built-in dashcam captures alleged road rage, helps police locate suspect

The grant — awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation — is expected to help UDOT, the Wyoming Department of Transportation, and the Colorado Department of Transportation to create a connected network that is both seamless and reliable, UDOT said.

“Utah is a leader in promoting and deploying V2X technologies to explore the potential to save lives on our nation’s highways,” Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt said.

According to UDOT, the grant was awarded the same day that the USDOT national V2X Deployment Plan was released.

“The funding provided today will help accelerate the technology so that we can deploy it on a national scale and provide new tools to reduce fatalities on our nation’s highways,” Bhatt said.

What is vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology?

Officials said V2X technology will essentially help vehicles be able to “talk” with each other and the signals on the roads.

According to UDOT, the technology can help inform drivers about sharp curves, inclement weather, and road closures. V2X technology is also said to have the capability to prevent crashes by identifying the location of “vulnerable road users.”

In the Beehive State, the technology has already been installed along Redwood Road, making that road the nation’s first “operational connected vehicle corridor.” Buses that are equipped with special radios can communicate with the traffic signals along the connected roads.

The connectivity between the buses and the roads means that “if the bus is running behind schedule, the signal can extend the length of the green light — all without any action taken by the bus driver,” according to UDOT.

Within the country’s top 75 metro areas, the USDOT’s goal is to have 25 percent of the “signalized intersections” equipped with V2X technology.

In the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, 20 percent of the signals are already equipped with the V2X technology, and UDOT said 96 percent of Utah’s traffic signals are connected to each other, thanks to the state’s fiber optic network.

“With this technology, we will be able to save more lives sooner,” UDOT Executive Director Carlos Braceras said. “We look forward to working with our partners as we expand this connected network beyond the borders of our state.”

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.