Roads Procurement Carries On

Highways England have reassured the construction industry the despite the disruption and site closures due to COVID-19 that roads procurement on a number of large schemes is still powering through.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak unveiled spending of £27.4 billion for road projects over the next five years in his Spring Budget this year, and procurement continues on many schemes, which have been tracked by Glenigan’s construction market research.

The roads procurement investment includes schemes such as the £200 million M54 to M6 Toll Road, and, the £1.7 billion Stonehenge Tunnel Scheme. Behind closed doors, schemes are still moving forward and this month, April, seen the three consortia shortlisted for the Stonehenge Tunnel begin a six-month period of dialogue with Highways England before they submit any final tenders in the autumn.

In order to reassure the industry through this crisis, Malcom Dare, Executive Director of Commercial and Procurement at Highways England wrote to many major companies stating: “I would also like to stress that all planned on-going procurement activities are continuing and they will be published via normal channels.

“C-19 related challenges might result in delays to our normal approval times but I would like to re-emphasise that we are continuing to operate as close to business as usual as possible.”

Mr Dare also highlighted the start of procurement on Highways England’s Operations Scheme Delivery Framework, which is set to deliver spending of £3.6 billon over the next six years.

Along with this, a Prior Information Notice has been issued for the framework, which will feature 13 lots, and will also start operations as scheduled in early spring 2021. With any companies who are interested in bidding for places on the framework should contact Highways England by April 30^th, 2020.

The UK Government have also shortlisted 15 highways schemes which will be taken forward to the next stage of development in the major road network and large local major funding rounds. Prior to the Spring Budget 2020, the Government have allocated £3.5 billion between 2020 and 2025 for these initiatives and schemes which are still moving forward, such as the £250 million A12 Chelmsford to A1220 widening scheme. Main construction won’t start until 2023, however research shows that ground investigation surveys began earlier this year.

Warwickshire Country Council have also asked the Department of Transport for £17 million toward it’s estimated £40 million plan for work on the junction of the A426/A407 Avon Mill/Hunters Lane, with the plan being to proceed to the next stage and although it is unlikely that work will begin until 2022, other schemes could possibly begin onsite sooner.

Dependant on funding, procurement and spread of the virus, projects such as a £30 million upgrade to the Army and Navy roundabout near the centre of Chelmsford on the A1060/A1114 may be able to start in autumn.

Whilst there are many sites which have been paused due to the virus, behind the scenes there are many new transport links and roads schemes that are still moving toward the starting line, and could be able to start when the public health scenario allows.

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