The Florida Department of Transportation has awarded a $33m construction contract to MCM for toll equipment gantries and other civil works for its project to convert a section of the Florida Turnpike into an all-electronic/cashless toll (AET).

The section, Homestead Extension of Florida’s Turnpike (HEFT), extends southernmost 75km, 47 miles of the mainline of Florida’s Turnpike.

The contract involves work on the Homestead and Bird Road mainline toll plazas and 17 Turnpike ramp toll points in the southern portion of the HEFT.

The company will also build an auxiliary lane in both directions from near SW40 St to FL836 making the section 12 lanes wide.

In addition, the existing toll booths, canopies and buildings will be destroyed and the toll plaza pavement will be removed.

The civil work is expected to complete by February 2011. Another contract for civil work may also be given.

US defense contractor Raytheon will install the all-electronic tolling on the turnpike.

A further contract for an ‘off-system cash replenishment’ may be given to Blackstone and Payspot, which will allow users to use touchscreen machines to pay their tolls with cash or a credit card by entering their licence plate number.