The Highways Agency has awarded a £20m five-year
contract to QinetiQ to manage and develop its roadside control and
driver information systems.
The deal extends QinetiQ’s existing contract running the
software that supports the agency’s Traffic Management System and
network of regional control centres.
The software allows the agency to control its network of
emergency roadside telephones, signalling, message signs for
drivers, incident detection and protection systems, meteorological
subsystem and CCTV.
Under the contract, QinetiQ will manage maintenance and
development contractors, system security, contingency planning and
training.
The new contract follows a series of developments by the
Highways Agency aimed at ensuring better and timelier information
for motorists. In February, the agency overhauled its website to
provide real-time information on road conditions.
A month later, it opened a £160m National Traffic Control
Centre, consolidating its existing systems and information
generated by the regional traffic centres and national roadside
infrastructure.