Serco has announced that it has completed final negotiations with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) for a $355m contract to integrate and operate VDOT’s transportation operation centers and manage the safety service patrol.

Work under the new contract, which has a six-year base period with three two-year option periods, is expected to commence during Q3 2013.

Serco, which offers traffic management services across the world, including active traffic management and intelligent transportation systems in the UK, and traffic and tunnel controls in Hong Kong, recently announced the potential contract; however, the final negotiations are pending.

"Work under the new contract, which has a six-year base period with three two-year option periods, is expected to commence during Q3 2013."

With the aim to develop and implement a statewide advanced traffic management system, the project will involve Serco helping VDOT to move from conventional traffic management systems to a single, real-time, statewide system that manages 57,000 miles of roadway.

Under the contract, Serco will develop and deploy the software solutions, manage control room operations at five TOCs, install and maintain intelligent transportation system equipment, and manage incident and emergency responses.

Serco will dispatch safety service patrol and maintenance crews to respond to incidents, manage high-occupancy vehicles and reversible lanes, provide real-time information to emergency responders and coordinate signal systems.

Serco chairman and chief executive officer Ed Casey said: "We look forward to supporting VDOT to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and safety of its traffic management operations."