Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT) implemented its WZDx data feed through a data integration project that extracts and transforms data from existing systems and then republishes that data using the WZDx specification. 1  IDOT collects data from two internal systems in order to publish the full WZDx 1.1 specification. Part of the work zone data is acquired from the existing 511 system, where operators are responsible for publishing and maintaining work zone data. The remaining data elements that are not contained in the 511 system are gathered from an internal roadway asset management system. Together, these two systems fulfill the required common core data elements for WZDx v1.1.

The migration to the WZDx v2.0 specification, which is more complex and introduces additional data fields and requirements, has been delayed until after a new active traffic management system (ATMS) is placed into production. The WZDx v2.0 supports specific lane closure data with the ability to number each lane, and that level of granularity is not readily available within the agency until after the new ATMS is deployed. Iowa DOT also hopes to increase the accuracy and reliability of work zone event data through a new initiative that will require automated monitoring using smart devices within work zones. Together, those technologies will produce a more integrated and automated WZDx v2.0 data feed and reduce the amount of manual data entry.

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