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Roads Review receives a mixed response
00:00 05 Aug 1998
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by Carol Millett
The Government's roads review met a mixed response from contractors, consulting engineers and local authorities this week.
No new trunk road projects are expected to start in England for at least three years, despite the Government's announcement last week that 37 schemes had survived the grilling in its Roads Review.
"Any contractor who hasn't seen this coming doesn't deserve to be solvent," said one leading civils managing director. "The writing has been on the wall for many years, even more so under Labour."
Meanwhile, the Highways Agency has been given a new role as network operator of the country's key roads. The Agency will manage the core network which will be 70 per cent of the current network with the remaining 30 per cent handed over to local authority control.
The Civil Engineering Contractors Association said the road review sent out mixed signals to contractors. "I think we can read it as a positive move. There's a recognition that certain schemes need to be done and hopefully they will get on and do them," said CECA's deputy chairman, Dr Simon Frain.
Some contractor's were not so positive in their response. Another leading civils figure told CJ: "The Government has hit the ground reviewing. It's a huge disappointment. We anticipated this but we didn't think it would be this bad. Cutting bypasses and smaller projects will cause untold damage. The new build road market will be in turmoil."
Another contractor questioned the future of PFI following the review.
"It's worrying that there has been no firm commitment in the review to PFI. In fact they seem to be implying that the private sector should come up with some integrated transport solutions. But this is all so vague. We would like to see some practical proposals. Much of this is form without substance," he said.
The Institution of Civil Engineers was critical of the Government's decision to take nearly 80 bypasses and road improvement schemes out of the Highways Agency's remit.
Consulting engineers also gave a mixed response to the review. The Association of Consulting Engineer's director of business affairs Mindy Wilson said: "There are a range of potential opportunities for consulting engineers arising from the review," but she added that "we have a number of questions including how the lost schemes will be handled and whether existing studies and invested knowledge will be used or new studies commissioned." (See Analysis, p12-13 for full details).
The Government's roads review met a mixed response from contractors, consulting engineers and local authorities this week.
No new trunk road projects are expected to start in England for at least three years, despite the Government's announcement last week that 37 schemes had survived the grilling in its Roads Review.
"Any contractor who hasn't seen this coming doesn't deserve to be solvent," said one leading civils managing director. "The writing has been on the wall for many years, even more so under Labour."
Meanwhile, the Highways Agency has been given a new role as network operator of the country's key roads. The Agency will manage the core network which will be 70 per cent of the current network with the remaining 30 per cent handed over to local authority control.
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The Civil Engineering Contractors Association said the road review sent out mixed signals to contractors. "I think we can read it as a positive move. There's a recognition that certain schemes need to be done and hopefully they will get on and do them," said CECA's deputy chairman, Dr Simon Frain.
Some contractor's were not so positive in their response. Another leading civils figure told CJ: "The Government has hit the ground reviewing. It's a huge disappointment. We anticipated this but we didn't think it would be this bad. Cutting bypasses and smaller projects will cause untold damage. The new build road market will be in turmoil."
Another contractor questioned the future of PFI following the review.
"It's worrying that there has been no firm commitment in the review to PFI. In fact they seem to be implying that the private sector should come up with some integrated transport solutions. But this is all so vague. We would like to see some practical proposals. Much of this is form without substance," he said.
The Institution of Civil Engineers was critical of the Government's decision to take nearly 80 bypasses and road improvement schemes out of the Highways Agency's remit.
Consulting engineers also gave a mixed response to the review. The Association of Consulting Engineer's director of business affairs Mindy Wilson said: "There are a range of potential opportunities for consulting engineers arising from the review," but she added that "we have a number of questions including how the lost schemes will be handled and whether existing studies and invested knowledge will be used or new studies commissioned." (See Analysis, p12-13 for full details).
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