Amey/Mouchel seals Area 13 MAC

Amey/Mouchel has been awarded the Highways Agency's Area 13 MAC for Cumbria and North Lancashire.

The five-year contract, with a possible extension of two years, is worth around £30m per year. The pairing fought off competition from Nuttall/Parkman after a delay in the contract award due to a "fine-tuning of details".

However, one source said that the reasons for the delay still had to be determined after a "breakdown of communication".

Despite the uncertainities surrounding Amey's financial position, the Agency seems determined that the group is "stable enough" to win more roads work. On hearing the announcement, the source added that there should be serious concerns over the roads department "putting all its eggs in one basket" with Amey having already secured Areas 1,6,9 and 10.

Only Area 12, worth around £24m per year and being fought out between InterRoute (Raynesway/Mott MacDonald) and Carillion, is left to be awarded with an announcement due by the end of the week.

Meanwhile Mouchel has also been named preferred bidder by Surrey County Council for its building maintenance consultancy contract, worth £9m.