The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has picked Battelle for a pair of contracts to help operate highways, manage traffic, and reduce crashes, the agency said Thursday.

For the first, FHWA's Office of Operations chose Battelle for a five-year, $132 million award that renews the Columbus, Ohio-based contractor's assignment to bid on projects including research on connected vehicles, work zones, congestion management, freight, commercial vehicles, weather, and other topics that affect traffic management and operations.

For the second, FHWA's Office of Safety Research and Development awarded a five-year, $50 million contract that allows Battelle to bid on projects related to human factors, roadway geometry, and data analysis, with a primary focus on research that supports highway design.

"The focus will be on crash reduction-why do crashes happen and what can we do about them?" John Campbell, Battelle's program manager for both deals, said in a release. "We'll be examining traditional safety issues such as sign design and location, roadway characteristics, and driver distraction, as well as new safety issues introduced by connected vehicles and automated vehicles. We'll be focused on research and countermeasure development for long-term safety issues, crashes that take people's lives."

As it works to fulfill both contracts, Battelle will hold the role of prime contractor, leading large teams of university researchers, small and large businesses, and independent consultants.