The Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) has expanded its wrong-way driving detection (WWDD) and prevention system, which now covers all its off-ramps outside active construction zones.

The system is active at 102 off-ramps on the 200km system. When a vehicle enters an off-ramp in the wrong direction, detection technology activates a series of warning devices designed to alert the driver and encourage them to turn around before reaching the mainline expressway.

Over the past ten years, more than 2500 drivers have turned around before entering the expressway the wrong way, which is an 88.6% documented turnaround rate from January 2016 to June 2026.

“Reaching 100% coverage of our wrong-way driving detection and prevention system is a significant achievement years in the making,” said Michelle Maikisch, executive director at CFX. “It reflects the hard work and dedication of our team, the innovation of our industry partners, and close collaboration with the Florida Department of Transportation, Florida Highway Patrol and the University of Central Florida. Together, we have built a system that is preventing wrong-way driving incidents and making our roads safer for everyone.”

As part of the programme, CFX partnered with the University of Central Florida (UCF, www.ucf.edu) to gather data on additional WWDD countermeasures. Over the past two years, research has been tracking the effectiveness of internally illuminated raised pavement markers (iiRPMs) at nine locations.

The study found that iiRPMs increased night-time turnaround rates and led to a reduction in night-time wrong-way driving detections. Most significantly, the use of iiRPMs showed statistically significant improvement in turning around wrong-way drivers earlier on the ramp compared with locations without the technology. Research findings from the pilot will help CFX evaluate, refine and implement as it plans future expansion of the technology.

CFX is also testing technology to expand its WWDD programme to help monitor wrong-way drivers beyond the warnings at off-ramps. Using existing cameras and software, the pilot is designed to show where a wrong-way driver travels if they continue onto the expressway and pass the warning signs. CFX is testing this programme’s expansion on approximately 8km of the recently widened section of State Road 417 between International Drive and John Young Parkway.

Learn more about CFX’s WWDD system at www.cfxway.com/for-travelers/projects/wrong-way-driving-detection-and-prevention-system/.

CFX (CFXway.com) is an independent agency in Florida that operates and maintains a regional network of expressways for more than 3.6 million residents of Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties and more than 76.7 million annual visitors to central Florida. Its user-funded system includes 73 interchanges, 14 mainline toll plazas, five mainline gantries, 76 ramp toll facilities and 365 bridges. On average, more than 1.6 million toll transactions are recorded daily, all of them electronically. CFX operates the E-Pass electronic toll collection system in Florida, with more than one million accounts.