Next-generation information technologies empowering smart roads: current status, challenges, and development pathways

This paper employs a systematic literature-review methodology to examine how next-generation information technologiessuch as 5G, artificial intelligence, and digital twinsempower smart roads. It describes the current applications and progress of smart roads in areas including digital sensing, vehicleroad coordination, and intelligent operation & maintenance. The study finds that, despite substantial recent technological advances, key barriers to large-scale deployment remain: fusion of multi-source heterogeneous data, perception robustness under extreme environments, explainability of AI algorithms, the absence of unified standards, cybersecurity, and immature business models. Looking forward, smart roads are expected to evolve toward deep multi-technology integration, ubiquitous perception and edge intelligence, and a service-oriented, sustainable development model. This paper aims to provide a reference framework for both theory and practice in this field and to identify directions for future research.