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The Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission has pledged to invest $714,000 of its 2017 capital budget for connected vehicle technology along the Ohio Turnpike.

Cleveland.com reported that the appropriation marks a new era of transportation technology funding in the state.

Dedicated Short Range Communications technology will be installed along a 61-mile stretch of the turnpike from Erie County to Portage County. The two-way, short- to medium-range wireless communications allow vehicles to communicate with one another and with sensors posted along the highway.

Gov. John Kasich has said he wants Ohio to become a hub for developing the autonomous-driving industry. The turnpike commission has publicly supported Kasich’s views on self-driving vehicles, and its investment in DSRC technology is viewed as a step toward the Republican governor’s goal.

The state is investing $15 million in a 35-mile stretch of road outside of Columbus that will act as a testing ground for autonomous and connected vehicles.

Dubbed the Smart Mobility Corridor, the stretch of road on U.S. 33 between Dublin and East Liberty will be outfitted with high-capacity fiber-optic cable that will provide data on self-driving vehicle operations.

“We have to always think about how we can move our state stronger and farther into the 21st century,” Kasich said during a press event to announce the investment.

Sensors along the road will send data to researchers at the Transportation Research Center at East Liberty and The Ohio State University’s Center for Automotive Research.

“You think about the number of lives that are going to be saved when we get fully autonomous,” Kasich said. “The issue of drunk driving won’t exist anymore. The issue of drugged driving won’t exist anymore.”

Kasich acknowledged that investments in technology such as autonomous vehicles are “disruptive” and could upset some people, but are necessary to improve the state’s competitiveness.

“You can’t take your foot off the gas,” he said.

“More and more, in the future it’s not going to be about more pavement; it’s going to be about more technology,” Ohio Department of Transportation Director Jerry Wray said.

Kasich said he wants to see investments like this one propel the state forward in autonomous vehicle research and help redefine Ohio, which he said too often is referred to as the “Rust Belt.”

As part of the press event, self-driving truck vehicle company Otto took a truck on U.S. 33 from Dublin to East Liberty. The truck also will travel on part of the Ohio Turnpike, which already is equipped with a fiber network along its entire 241-mile stretch.

The installation of fiber along U.S. 33 will begin in May and is expected to last through the summer.

The turnpike also will become a testing ground for self-driving vehicles.

“People shouldn’t notice,” said Turnpike Director Randy Cole, who already has been in the cab of the self-driving truck while it traveled down the turnpike by itself.