TROUP COUNTY, GA. (WRBL) – Troup County is now home to a major technological innovation, the first solar road in America.

The Ray, the Georgia Department of Transportation, and international infrastructure innovator Colas have unveiled an upgraded version of the Wattway solar road. It’s located at the Visitor Information Center located at Exit 1 on Interstate 85.

The Wattway solar road was invented in partnership with the French National Solar Energy Institute.

Wattway technology enables the road to multi-task by providing a surface for safe vehicular traffic, as well as providing a new land opportunity for generating clean, renewable energy.

“We are very comfortable seeing solar panels on solar farms but you don’t see any kind of generated energy on highways,” says Harriet Langford, President of the Ray, “We think it is a great way for the future in all transportation different states and DOT’s can start looking at what we are doing everything we do can be mimic anywhere.”

The entire West Point welcome center is powered by the solar panels.