Hertfordshire selects Ringway for roads work

Hertfordshire County Council has chosen Ringway Infrastructure Services Ltd as the preferred bidder for a £35m a year highway works contract.

The seven- to twelve-year contract is one of a series being let by the council to replace its long-term highways partnership contracts with Amey Lafarge JV and Mouchel that expire at the end of September.

Stuart Pile, cabinet member for highways and transport at Hertfordshire, said: “The end of the existing contracts has given us an opportunity to rethink how we structure the highways service and we’re making some significant changes. The Hertfordshire highways contracts were recognised as innovative when they were set up ten years ago. However, the industry has moved on and – if we’re going to provide the best service possible for our residents – so must we.”

The contract covers the delivery of routine, planned, cyclical and reactive maintenance and improvement work. It also includes performance management mechanisms under which Ringway may be awarded other work – including road, pavement and drainage programmes and transport and safety schemes – depending on their performance.

“We will also be developing a framework of contractors who can bid for maintenance and improvement works, so the amount of work we give to Ringway will depend on how well they perform,” Pile continued. “This ongoing competitive pressure will help make sure that we get a good deal throughout the life of the contract and continue to provide a high quality local service.”

Hertfordshire County Council is also procuring a client support contract to provide professional support, specialist contracts for structures and transport planning, and a framework for structural maintenance. The council is also lead authority for the Eastern Highways Alliance framework for improvement schemes.

LTT's is holding the event: Future of Highways Delivery North  to discuss the topics raised in this article. The event will be held on the 27 June in Manchester Town Hall.  Find out more...