Connecting the West is a three-state program to put vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology along 1,200 miles of interstate in Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming. The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) leads it, and the U.S. Department of Transportation gave Utah a $20 million grant for it in June 2024.
The program at a glance
| Item | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Federal grant | $20 million (June 2024) | FHWA; UDOT |
| Roads covered | I-15, I-25, I-70, I-80 | UDOT |
| Corridor length | 1,200 miles | UDOT; GovTech |
| Utah roadside units at signals | 480 (91% of UDOT-owned signals) | UDOT; GovTech |
| Colorado roadside units, western I-70 | 42 | UDOT |
| Lidar pedestrian warning sites | 20 | UDOT; GovTech |
| Measured safety results | None published | UDOT; GovTech |
What V2X does on the road
V2X lets roadside units and equipped vehicles trade messages. According to UDOT’s program page, the applications include:
- Traveler information messages about icy roads, weather hazards, speed limits, work zones, and lane closures
- Snow plow preemption, which gives plows green lights on approach and is deployed in parts of Colorado and Utah
- Transit signal priority, which lets Utah Transit Authority buses request extra green time when behind schedule
- Lidar detection of pedestrians and cyclists at intersections
UDOT engineer Blaine Leonard told GovTech, “We often call this a digital seatbelt.” He also said that for the safety case to pay off, “we need the requirement of auto manufacturers.”
What has been built so far
Utah added 480 roadside units at signalized intersections, which UDOT says covers 91% of its signals. It put 250 more along I-15, I-70, I-80, and rural corridors. Colorado installed 42 along western I-70, where the rural mountain terrain took more planning than expected, according to GovTech. Twenty Salt Lake area intersections now have lidar-based warnings for people walking and biking. General Motors supplied a Chevrolet Traverse with V2X applications and a red-light violation warning for testing.
The project is finishing its first phase and moving into evaluation, GovTech reports. UDOT and its partners secured another $6.54 million, which brings the project value above $26 million.
Why It Matters to You
- If you walk or bike in the Salt Lake area, some intersections already have lidar warnings meant to catch you.
- If you ride Utah Transit Authority buses, transit signal priority is meant to help late buses get extra green time.
- If you drive, you get no direct benefit today unless your vehicle can receive V2X messages. Most equipped vehicles are government fleet vehicles, and broad reach depends on automakers adopting the technology.
Where the evidence stops
Equipment counts are not safety results. Roadside units installed say nothing yet about crashes avoided: UDOT’s page lists expected benefits only, and GovTech says evaluations are poised to begin. Vehicle counts also differ by source. GovTech says more than 700 UDOT vehicles carry onboard units, while UDOT’s page says 215 Utah transit buses and snowplows received them. Both could be right if they count different fleets, but the sources don’t explain. Wildlife-in-road warnings and alerts arriving “seconds” before a driver would see a hazard are unconfirmed, and no Wyoming equipment counts have been published. Utah’s rollout is much further along in the sources than Colorado’s or Wyoming’s.
Quick answers
Will my car get these warnings? Only if it has V2X equipment. Right now that mostly means government fleets and test vehicles. UDOT says automaker adoption is needed for broad reach.
Does it prevent crashes yet? Unknown. The program is moving into its evaluation phase, and no crash or near-miss results have been published.
Who pays for it? A $20 million USDOT grant plus $6.54 million from UDOT and partners, for more than $26 million in total.
Which states and roads are involved? Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming, along I-15, I-25, I-70, and I-80.
Sources
- GovTech: Western States Work to Link Vehicles Over Hundreds of Miles (Sep 2, 2026)
- UDOT: Connecting the West Program (accessed Oct 13, 2026)
- FHWA: USDOT Awards $20 Million in Advanced Vehicle Technology Grants to Utah (Jun 20, 2024)