A vacant portion of the University of Connecticut’s campus in Mansfield is on track to become the first autonomous vehicle and smart city research facility in the region.

The proposed Spectrum Park development is spearheaded by Eric Jackson, executive director of the Connecticut Transportation Institute, and Steve Cortese, head of Promesa Capital LLC, who envision a facility that will drive innovation, foster job growth, and above all, improve safety…

Once finished, Jackson and Cortese said that the Spectrum Park research center will be a place where various companies can test smart car and infrastructure technology in collaboration with UConn researchers.

The facility will include crash-test sites, simulated urban, rural and highway driving environments, intersections, roundabouts, parking lots, ramps and other forms of smart infrastructure.