(File Photo: Caption for Photo: PennDOT, PSP, PTC, Construction Industry Highlight National Work Zone Awareness Week)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) Submissions for the 2025-2026 PennDOT Innovations Challenge will now be accepted until January 30th, 2026 for high school students in Pennsylvania. All students in grades 9-12 in Pennsylvania can participate in this challenge. According to a release from PennDOT, this challenge encourages students to use their problem-solving, creative and strategic-thinking abilities to solve real-world transportation challenges in a competition among their peers. A concept must be developed by high school students in this challenge which is to figure out a concept for artificial intelligence in work zones to improve safety for both those that use roads and work crews. The concept also should take deployment implications across Pennsylvania, outreach for the public and cost-benefit information into consideration and the concept must show how PennDOT can use systems that are smarter both to protect those who are working to make Pennsylvania better and to prevent accidents.For more information and to submit an entry for this challenge, go to penndot.gov/innovation.