German multinational conglomerate Siemens has been awarded a contract to provide traffic control technology equipment to a suspension bridge in Turkey.

The six-lane bridge, which will be the fourth longest suspension bridge in the world, is part of a freeway project connecting the cities of Istanbul and Izmir in the western part of the country.

Under the €17m contract, Siemens will act as a general contractor, responsible for the development, installation and commissioning of all components and systems for the traffic control technology.

Siemens will equip the 3km-long freeway bridge at the eastern end of the Sea of Marmara in Turkey with its traffic control system and monitoring technology.

The company will also provide components for technical infrastructure, such as communication and camera equipment, energy supply, lighting and ventilation, along with an integrated operations and traffic control technology centre.

The traffic control system will combine all operating and traffic data in the centre, while guiding traffic flows and examining the situation on the freeway bridge.

"Siemens will equip the 3km-long freeway bridge at the eastern end of the Sea of Marmara in Turkey with its traffic control system and monitoring technology."

Operations control technology will manage lighting, ventilation and energy distribution and supply on the bridge.

Siemens will also deploy integrated seismic sensors in the earthquake-prone region around Izmir that requires special monitoring technology. These sensors will monitor the stability of the local infrastructure and provide constant data on the state of components and buildings.

The German company will also provide a complete lighting system for the bridge, deck and air traffic, and dehumidification systems for girders, cables and pylons.

A supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system will be used for the process monitoring and control of the unit.

The new six-lane bridge will reduce the travel time between both cities from eight hours to four, while decreasing inner-city traffic congestion in Istanbul.