Rockwell to Design ‘Smart Highway’

The transportation systems division of Rockwell International Corp. said Tuesday that it has been awarded a $4.3-million federal contract as part of its selection as one of two teams to design a national “smart highway” system for the country’s roadways.

The Rockwell division in Anaheim will work with a team from Loral/Siemens to develop a system that uses electronics and communications technologies to improve travelers’ use of surface roads.

The 18-month contract is aimed at providing individual passenger cars as well as mass transit riders and commercial carriers with information and services to make the road system easier to use.

Traffic sensors, real-time information on traffic conditions and electronic toll booths are some of the products and services that will become standard over the next 20 years as a national system is put together.

The Rockwell team is expected to work with the Virginia-based Loral/Siemens team, which was awarded a $3.7-million contract to come up with a design plan by mid-1996. The Loral/Siemens team is a joint effort by subsidiaries of Loral Corp. and Siemens Corp., both in New York.