£250m road contract win for Amey

12:03pm Friday 2nd May 2008

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CONSTRUCTION giant Amey yesterday took over the £245m contract to maintain Hampshire highways.

Worth a massive £35m a year for seven years, the deal sees Amey replace Balfour Beatty on the job.

And a possible three-year contract extension could see the total value of the deal climb as high as £350m.

Oxford-based Amey, owned by Spanish builder Ferrovial, that also owns Southampton Airport, is now responsible for more than 5,000 miles of road and footway maintenance across Hampshire.

Amey won the contract against stiff competition from five other companies, reported to include Enterprise Accord, Alfred McAlpine, French firm Colas and Dutch-owned Fitzpatrick.

Through its subsidiary Raynesway, Balfour Beatty had the contract for the past six years, with a budget between £25m and £33m.

Council bosses said the new contract placed a "greater emphasis on the customer experience".

Amey spokesman Kunle Kolaru said: "Effective road and footway maintenance can have a significant positive impact on the local community, improving journeys for residents and businesses alike.

"Amey's experience shows that regular, two-way engagement with the local community is key and will be an important element of the service Amey will provide."

The County council's executive member for environment Councillor Mel Kendal said: "Highways maintenance is one of our priorities, and residents tell us it's one of theirs too.

"Just about all of us use roads and footways daily.

"Maintaining them and getting repairs right first time will be a cornerstone of our relationship.

"Amey is hugely experienced in contracts like this, and we'll be tapping into its expertise to make sure that we get the best possible value for council taxpayers."

The contract covers routine and planned maintenance of Hampshire's highway network outside Portsmouth and Southampton, excluding motorways and trunk roads.