The Indiana Finance Authority (IFA) in the US is set to go ahead with a newly selected bidder Kapsch TrafficCom to manage and maintain an all-electronic toll-collection system for the Louisville-Southern Indiana Ohio River Bridges Project.

The $41.5m proposal submitted by the US-based Kapsch TrafficCom was approved by the Ohio River Bridges Joint Board.

Kapsch TrafficCom was selected from among three bidders and the proposals were screened by a joint evaluation committee, made up of officials from both Indiana and Kentucky.

"We have ensured both the confidence of Hoosiers and Kentucky taxpayers."

If approved, the contract will be taken up through Indiana’s statutory procedures and would cover the cost of a collection system and the cost to manage and operate the tolling system.

The length of the contract is for a period of seven years, and the states have the option to extend it for a single two-year period.

A public hearing is set to take place on 26 March to accept public comment about the selected proposal and contract, and the proposal-evaluation process.

IFA interim public-finance director Dan Huge said: "In resetting the process, and reopening the door to allow bidders to participate afresh, we have ensured both the confidence of Hoosiers and Kentucky taxpayers, and assured them we have the right provider to achieve the end goal of successful management of a tolling collection and compliance system."

The public comment will be used by the IFA to make its final determination in recommending the preferred tolling operator to receive approval consideration from Indiana governor Mike Pence and review by the state budget committee.