Team members John Haddock, professor of civil engineering and director of Indiana Local Technical Assistance Program (IN LTAP); Nadia Gkritza, professor of civil engineering and ASPIRE campus director at Purdue; Dionysios Aliprantis, professor of electrical and computer engineering; and Steven Pekarek, Dr. Edmund O. Schweitzer, III Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

A joint project between the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) and Purdue University to develop one of the world’s first dynamic wireless power transfer highway segments has earned a place in the 2022 Top 100 Strategic U.S. Infrastructure Project Report. The multimillion-dollar project also will test the performance of an innovative type of magnetizable concrete, developed by German startup Magment GmbH. 

Each year, Washington, D.C.-based CG/LA Infrastructure leverages its extensive network of infrastructure professionals along with months of in-house research to produce a list of the Strategic 100 most important infrastructure projects in the United States. These projects represent opportunity for improved quality of life, economic growth, job creation and solving complex problems.

In announcing the joint project, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb said, “Indiana is known as the Crossroads of America, and we’re committed to fortifying our position as a transportation leader by innovating to support the emerging vehicle technology. This partnership to develop wireless charging technology for highways sends a strong signal that Indiana is on the leading edge of delivering the infrastructure needed to support the adoption of electric vehicles.”

The project is also supported by the Advancing Sustainability through Powered Infrastructure for Roadway Electrification (ASPIRE), an Engineering Research Center funded by the National Science Foundation. Nadia Gkritza, professor of civil engineering and agricultural and biological engineering, is the ASPIRE campus director at Purdue. She is a prominent expert and innovator in transportation energy and sustainability, including electrified vehicle infrastructure.

Other Purdue team members include John Haddock, professor of civil engineering and director of Indiana Local Technical Assistance Program (IN LTAP); Dionysios Aliprantis, professor of electrical and computer engineering; Steven Pekarek, Dr. Edmund O. Schweitzer III Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering; and Aaron Brovont, research assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering.

“This recognition reaffirms INDOT and Purdue’s long-standing relationship that drives innovation in the state of Indiana,” Gkritza said.