Bowman partnered with the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) to design and implement Rhode Island’s first overheight vehicle detection system (OVDS).
The Shippeetown Road overpass crosses I-95 along a heavily traveled stretch of interstate, where repeated bridge strikes by overheight vehicles had caused infrastructure damage and unplanned traffic disruptions. No such system had been deployed on a Rhode Island freeway before, so the design had to function reliably at interstate speeds and volumes, all under a tight schedule with strict traffic control requirements and limited lane or shoulder closures.
Bowman designed and implemented an OVDS on both the northbound and southbound approaches to the overpass. The system detects vehicles exceeding the vertical clearance and activates roadside warning signs early enough for drivers to react. Commercial detection equipment was integrated with custom structural and electrical designs tailored to the site’s geometry and traffic conditions, while temporary traffic control kept I-95 and adjacent ramps continuously operational during installation.
The OVDS now safeguards against bridge strikes and establishes a framework for expanding the technology statewide.
Read the project case study here.
Project Awards
2025 First Place Gold Anchor Award – American Council of Engineering Companies of Rhode Island
