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HA to introduce longer road maintenance contracts
00:00 04 Aug 1999
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Exclusive by Kathy Watson
The Highways Agency (HA) is to introduce pilots for bigger and longer-lasting highway maintenance contracts and to audit contractors' performance.
In particular it is looking to change the 24 Super Agency and Term Maintenance contractor roles, either with five to seven-year contracts for current maintenance, or with contracts lasting 15 years or more for both capital and current maintenance.
As a further refinement it may also investigate including what it calls a 'payment mechanism' to contractors on 15-year contracts as an incentive to carry out improvements of less than £1 million at their own expense.
Currently maintenance is carried out by contractors in 24 'Super Agencies' throughout England, with Tarmac and Amey each controlling five. With separate management contracts being let to consultants.
Last week, in its review of its first five years as a 'Next Step' agency, the HA admitted that it wants to test these new ways of maintaining the reduced network. In the review, it conceded that more resources would be needed to develop the devolution process but argued for co-locating some agency staff within the contractors' teams.
Rumours of a major revamp of maintenance contracts first surfaced in January (See CJ 20 January 1999). The Agency plans to flesh out its proposals in announcements later this week. The HA spends £770 million a year on maintenance.
Meanwhile, the HA is set to reorganise with the creation of four divisions rather than the current three. The existing southern division is to be divided to form separate south-east and south-west regions, while the existing Midlands and northern divisions will be unchanged. An HA spokesman said: "The change flows from our new role. Traditionally we built and maintained roads, but now Government wants us to be a network operator tasked with integrating with other forms of transport."
The Highways Agency (HA) is to introduce pilots for bigger and longer-lasting highway maintenance contracts and to audit contractors' performance.
In particular it is looking to change the 24 Super Agency and Term Maintenance contractor roles, either with five to seven-year contracts for current maintenance, or with contracts lasting 15 years or more for both capital and current maintenance.
As a further refinement it may also investigate including what it calls a 'payment mechanism' to contractors on 15-year contracts as an incentive to carry out improvements of less than £1 million at their own expense.
Currently maintenance is carried out by contractors in 24 'Super Agencies' throughout England, with Tarmac and Amey each controlling five. With separate management contracts being let to consultants.
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Last week, in its review of its first five years as a 'Next Step' agency, the HA admitted that it wants to test these new ways of maintaining the reduced network. In the review, it conceded that more resources would be needed to develop the devolution process but argued for co-locating some agency staff within the contractors' teams.
Rumours of a major revamp of maintenance contracts first surfaced in January (See CJ 20 January 1999). The Agency plans to flesh out its proposals in announcements later this week. The HA spends £770 million a year on maintenance.
Meanwhile, the HA is set to reorganise with the creation of four divisions rather than the current three. The existing southern division is to be divided to form separate south-east and south-west regions, while the existing Midlands and northern divisions will be unchanged. An HA spokesman said: "The change flows from our new role. Traditionally we built and maintained roads, but now Government wants us to be a network operator tasked with integrating with other forms of transport."
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