Roads programme slows down

"There is not an ounce of encouragement to contractors in the Highways Agency's Business Plan 2004/05", according to the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA).
Harsh words, and ones that call for some explanation. CECA's rather gloomy assessment derives from a comparison of the indicative spend for 2004/05 outlined in the 2003/04 business plan and the actual spend announced last week in the HA's business plan for the year just starting.





It appears that capital expenditure on major schemes is to be cut by £154m, or 36.8%, with invitations to tender expected to go out on just eight schemes.
That said, the programme outlined in the business plan does not include any of the 13 motorway widening schemes announced by the transport secretary in December 2002. And some multi-modal studies have yet to report and more road schemes may be added to the programme as a result.
So it's not all gloom and doom, but it's true that the government has its eye, and by the looks of it, much of its capital expenditure, firmly fixed on education and health. However, major improvements are needed on vital parts of the road network and the backlog of repairs continues to grow.
But there is another point to be made. The HA has worked hard to turn itself into a best practice client, working with the industry using partnering contracts to meet its environmental, sustainability and better value for money criteria. Contractors in turn are having to raise their game to meet the HA's aspirations.
It would be a great shame if all this hard work on everyone's part went to waste through lack of funding. The government needs to provide enough projects to justify the time, effort and money spent by both the HA and its contractors on meeting the new best practice quality criteria.