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Naperville Auto Test Track
Award of Merit: Transportation
The Naperville Auto Test Track is a 7-acre facility that provides
a way for automobile customers to safety test drive cars and
trucks in a closed environment.
The track is designed to allow drivers to experience everyday
road conditions during their test drive, such as asphalt roadways,
railroad crossing, cobblestone surface area, suburban driveway,
high-bank area, skid pad and a sports utility vehicle testing
area with a hill-climb and rough road section.
The project is a joint development between the city of Naperville
and 12 automobile dealerships in the city.
Luring Car Buyers
The primary purpose is to attract potential car buyers to
automotive dealers.
The ability to test-drive au automobile in a safe, controlled
environment will serve as a unique competitive advantage for
dealers over others in neighboring communities, providing
an economic benefit to Naperville.
The facility will also serve as a weekend competitive track
for car clubs and spectators and a training facility for local
police and fire departments.
The high profile of the facility pointed to the need for an
attractive, landscaped development with careful planning for
parking and safe access for residents.
The facility is believed to be the only one of its kind in
the United States and included the following elements:
The seven-acre track, 750 tons of asphalt and 1,000 sq.
yds. of concrete.
Specialty pavements, such as 100-ft.-long cobblestone surface
to simulate driving on a brick road, a 10 percent hill-climb
incline with exposed aggregate concrete to replicate a dirt
road and high bank testing area with 10 percent cross slope
on asphalt surface.
Three electronic gates to control access to the track surface,
tent showcase area for special events, control center, security
cameras and 24 parking spaces.
The project was so unique that the members of the construction
and design team were in uncharted waters. There was no program
to work from, and every step was a learning exercise.
Jury Comments: "It's a neat idea, very clever. It was
a nice partnership between the public sector and private sector.
There are a lot of dealerships around them. That area is so
heavily trafficked that people might stop to test-drive a
car at this track."
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