New partnership takes on responsibility for maintaining Shropshire’s roads

A new partnership responsible for delivering a wide range of highways maintenance and environmental maintenance services in Shropshire begins work this Sunday (1 April 2018).

The Shropshire Highways Alliance is made up of Shropshire Council, WSP – the council’s engineering consultant, and Kier – the council’s new highways maintenance contractor.

From 1 April [2018] Kier will be responsible for highways projects and schemes, pothole repair, gritting, bridge maintenance, grass cutting, drainage, street lighting, emergency responses, vehicle maintenance and more.

Kier will work closely with Shropshire Council and WSP in the new alliance, and people will soon see the Shropshire Highways name and logo on vehicles, on signage at the county’s highways depots, and on the hi-vis jackets and hard hats worn by staff.

Kier was awarded the highways maintenance contract in late 2017 following a lengthy and detailed procurement process. They take over from Ringway, with most of Ringway’s staff transferring to Kier.

The contract is for seven years with the option of a further three individual years based on performance. Its value is approximately £21 million per year.

Steve Davenport, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for highways and transport said:

“We’re delighted that Kier will officially begin work as our new highways maintenance contractor this weekend and we look forward to working closely with them in the years ahead in the new Shropshire Highways alliance. We’re confident we have found the best contractor for this work, one that will help us to deliver the best possible highways maintenance services for the people of Shropshire.

“Since the contract was awarded last autumn we’ve been working closely with Kier to ensure a smooth transfer and that all the appropriate arrangements were in place. This means that Kier are ready and able to begin work straight away. Indeed, a number of highways improvement schemes are already designed, measured and ready to start in April.”

Dave Merrick, Kier’s Managing Director for Local Authority Highways said:

“We are really looking forward to working with Shropshire Council and WSP to deliver results for residents and businesses in Shropshire. We have been working hard during the mobilisation period and we are ready to hit the ground running. We are now busy introducing staff to new processes and technology, making sure our work is completed as efficiently and safely as possible.”