Highways Agency to roll out Midlands highways framework

The Highways Agency (HA) and local authorities are developing a major new schemes framework that could see contractors tap into £100m-worth of work, CJ has learned.

The framework, which rolls up jobs from the HA and local authorities across the Midlands region, will cover road construction schemes over £8m in value.

It forms part of the work of the Highways Efficiency Liaison Group and the Midlands Highways Alliance (MHA), which aim to create leaner procurement processes by joining up road schemes along with the HA.

Procurement for the four-year framework is expected to go to OJEU in six months and will be looking to include three firms. The HA's Capability Assessment Toolkit process may also form part of the selection process.

When procurement does start, there should already be a minimum of four schemes in the pot, with an overall value of between £80m and £100m.

Successful contractors will get an even share of the work at the start of the contract through the 'framework board'. Further work hand-outs will depend on contractor performance.

The framework is being developed on the back of the MHA's medium schemes framework for schemes under £8m, which has been up and running since October last year.

It has seen substantial savings in tender costs and the sharing of innovations across its contractors: Tarmac, Balfour Beatty, Carillion and AIGOL (an Aggregate Industries and Geoffrey Osborne joint venture).