MoDOT considers solar roadways

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Department of Transportation is set to test the feasibility of sidewalks and roadways embedded with solar panels.

The Jefferson City News-Tribune reported department officials hope the specially designed solar panels will provide enough electricity to meet the power needs of a rest area.

"Solar roadways can hopefully create new revenue streams," said Tom Blair, assistant district engineer with the department's St. Louis-area district and head of the "Road to Tomorrow" long-range planning effort.

Blair said officials are working with Solar Roadways, an Idaho-based company developing solar panels people can walk or drive on.

The electronics of the panels are encased in glass-covered, hexagonal sections weighing about 70 pounds each. The company said the tempered glass can support the weight of tractor-trailers and has a traction surface equivalent to asphalt.

Solar Roadways said its panels also can contain LED lights to create lines and signage without paint.