Kier has signed an eight-year highways maintenance contract for the South West of England.
Somerset Council awarded the company’s transportation business the £225 million road maintenance contract, which spans repairs, drainage, verge cutting and winter service.
Following a tendering process started in 2021 Kier secured the largest contract covering term maintenance, which begins 1 April 2024.
The current contract with Milestone Infrastructure comes to an end in March 2024.
Bids were tested across a range of criteria including value for money, carbon reduction and commitment to social value.
‘Many workers’ operating under Milestone will transfer their employment to the new contractor, the council confirmed.
Three other contracts covering resurfacing, surface dressing, and new assets will be awarded in due course.
“We’re really delighted to have Kier Transportation Ltd as our new partner maintaining our network – they met all our key criteria and have some exciting proposals about taking the service further in terms of carbon reduction, efficiency and maximising social value for our communities,” said councillor Mike Rigby, Somerset Council’s lead member for transport and digital.
“We’ve had a fantastic working relationship with Milestone Infrastructure and we’d like to thank the team for their hard work and dedication, but with the conclusion of the contract there was an opportunity to do something new.
“This is a major refresh of our network maintenance services, something we’d not seen for 27 years, so we are committed to building in resilience to climate change, ensuring a safe, serviceable and sustainable network that is fit for purpose for all users and supports the growth of the local economy.
“Now more than ever it’s vital that we have a financially resilient service that is cost effective, as well as being flexible and agile, attracting the best people and embracing new technologies to enable innovation.”
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