FULLERTON, Calif., Sept. 22, 2005 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company and prime contractor Wilbur Smith and Associates recently received TEAMFL's annual Chairman's Award for innovative design of MnPASS, an electronic toll collection system for Minnesota's I-394 highway. TEAMFL is a Florida organization that encourages and honors innovation in toll road operation.

Using MnPASS, vehicles carrying only one person can use the high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes along I-394, if the driver pays a toll. The resulting dual mode lane is called a "high occupancy toll," or HOT lane. The project brings other innovations to the highway including dynamic pricing that varies according to traffic volume and mobile enforcement of HOT lane users. Raytheon supplied MnPASS's toll technology, mobile enforcement capabilities and system integration. Drivers have been using the system since May 16, 2005.

"We are proud that Raytheon Highway Transportation Management's concept for mobile enforcement was judged as the most innovative approach by TEAMFL," said Mike Prout, president of HTMS. "Raytheon technology is helping states find affordable ways to manage traffic congestion, and this award confirms our leadership in that arena."

TEAMFL was founded in 1997 as a collaborative effort between the State of Florida's Expressway Authorities System and the Florida Turnpike District. It unites these, other governmental agencies and Florida businesses in sharing innovative concepts for toll road operations, toll booth design, financing options, land acquisition, marketing and roadway design.

Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN), with 2004 sales of $20.2 billion, is an industry leader in defense and government electronics, space, information technology, technical services, and business and special mission aircraft. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 80,000 people worldwide.

  Note to editors:
  -- MnPASS work was performed by Raytheon Highway Transportation Management
     Systems employees in Fullerton, Calif., in close collaboration with
     Raytheon Canada employees located in Woodridge, Ontario.
  -- Raytheon has two patents pending for technology involved in mobile
     enforcement of HOT lane users.
  -- TEAMFL (http://www.teamfl.org/), Raytheon HTMS
     (http://www.raytheon.com/htms, Raytheon Canada
     (http://www.raytheon.ca/), Minnesota MnPass (http://www.mnpass.org/)

  Contact:
   Patricia Perlini
   972.952.4033

SOURCE: Raytheon Company

Web site: http://www.raytheon.com/