The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) recently selected Black & Veatch, an engineering, procurement, consulting, and construction company, to install a new fiber optic network along more than 200 miles of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
The network will support the Open Road Tolling initiative and the Intelligent Transport Systems program, and provide high-speed data communications where it is needed.
PTC awarded Black & Veatch with two contracts for the first and second phases of the network upgrade.
The $44.7 million first phase will involve installing fiber optic lines from Harrisburg to the Delaware River Bridge.
The $49.7 million second phase will connect Philadelphia, Allentown, and Scranton.
The company also will install additional fiber and conduits that PTC will lease to businesses and organizations.
“The PA Turnpike Commission sought a qualified partner that could bring an innovative, viable and affordable solution,” Paul Pishal, Black & Veatch sales director in the telecom division, said. “Our engineering team was able to submit a design that was a perfect fit for both Pennsylvania’s unique topography as well as the PTC’s goals for a high-speed data network to ensure robust connectivity across the Turnpike.”
The network also will prepare the turnpike to support such technologies as connected and autonomous vehicles.