Kapsch TrafficCom North America (Kapsch) has secured a $41m contract from the Indiana Finance Authority (IFA) to be the toll system provider for the Louisville-Southern Indiana Ohio River Bridges (LSIORB) in the US.

Under the deal, Kapsch will be responsible for the installation, integration, operation and maintenance of an end-to-end open road toll collection system, back office system and customer service center operation at the three bridges that will connect Louisville, Kentucky, and Jeffersonville, Indiana.

The project represents a joint commitment between the states to improving the region’s transportation system by alleviating congestion, increasing safety and mobility, and stimulating economic development.

"We wish to thank Indiana and Kentucky for their selection of Kapsch as their end-to-end service provider."

Initial work under the project will include addition of tolling infrastructure to the soon-to-be-completed New Downtown Bridge and the East End Bridge, as well as to the existing Kennedy Bridge.

Kennedy Bridge will be temporarily closed and renovated to increase capacity across the Ohio River and improve mobility in the Louisville-Southern Indiana region.

The deal will see Kapsch design the tolling equipment and software, offer customer account management systems, manage transponder distribution, as well as maintain customer service operations and walk-in retail centres.

Kapsch TrafficCom IVHS president and CEO Chris Murray said: "We wish to thank Indiana and Kentucky for their selection of Kapsch as their end-to-end service provider, and we look forward to delivering upon our selection as the best value solution."

The LSIORB tolling system will allow the use of toll tags operating on the ISO 18000 6C protocol, as well as TDM protocol-based transponders (E-ZPass), giving customers the option to purchase a toll tag for local use or for travel within an out-of-state toll network.

The project facilitates mobility for motorists and for toll operators between regions by using shared technologies.

According to the company, the bridges are scheduled to be opened for tolling by the end of 2016.