The Commonwealth Transportation Board in Virginia, US, has awarded a contract to G4S Technology for the design and building of an active traffic and safety management system (ATSMS).

The $4.6m project will be located on Interstate 64 (I-64) between mile markers 94 and 107 through Augusta, Nelson and Albemarle counties, over Afton Mountain.

Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell said: "This section of the I-64 corridor has a higher than average traffic crash rate related to fog or wind, including several large multivehicle accidents.

"The ATSMS project will help mitigate frequency and severity of crashes related to adverse weather conditions within the corridor."

ATSMS on I-64 includes a network of electronic message signs to provide information on changing traffic and weather conditions; additional traffic cameras for complete surveillance of the stretch by the Staunton Traffic Operations Center.

The system also comprises visibility detection sensors for improved response and performance of the existing fog-light system; and fibre-optics infrastructure to support future development of variable speed limits based on weather and traffic conditions.

VDOT will operate and maintain the system.

Among other stakeholders in the project are the Virginia State Police, as well as multiple city and county law enforcement and emergency response agencies.

Supplemented by existing operations technologies on Afton Mountain, the new system will provide improved traffic incident management and information sharing capabilities, and will reduce crash rates on the corridor.

Construction on the I-64 Afton ATSMS project is slated to begin in early 2014, with completion scheduled for summer 2015.