Transport for London (TfL) has awarded Kier a maintenance and management contract worth up to £200m for road tunnels and pumping stations.
Beginning in April 2021, the deal will run for eight years with the option to extend by a further four years which would take the value up to the upper estimate of £200m.
It includes mechanical, electrical and control activities associated with each tunnel, renewals, safety inspections, intelligent transport systems (ITS) and cleaning.
Kier will be responsible for maintaining and managing 10 tunnels and 106 pump stations. The tunnels maintained under the new contract are:
- A102 Blackwall Northbound
- A102 Blackwall Southbound
- A101 Rotherhithe
- A12 Green Man (pictured)
- A12 George Green
- A12 Eastway
- A3211 Upper Thames Street
- A2 Eltham Tunnel
- A406 Fore Street, and
- A40 Hangar Lane.
Under the deal, TfL can also require Kier to work on the A1261 East India Dock Tunnel and A1203 Limehouse Link Tunnel once the design, build, finance, operate (DBFO) agreement for those assets expires in 2030.
The transport authority also has the right to expand the deal to cover works on the Silvertown tunnel after opening, which is expected in 2025 at the earliest.
Under the new arrangements, the management of all of TfL's tunnels, including its tunnel river crossings, could be brought into the same team with maintenance delivered Kier.
Group managing director at Kier Highways, Joe Incutti, said: 'As TfL moves into a number of new contracts for the maintenance and management of the strategic road network in our capital city, we look forward to continuing our established working relationship with TfL through the delivery of this prestigious new tunnels contract.
'Alongside our supply chain partners, we will continue to leverage our collective tunnel expertise in the capital to work collaboratively with TfL towards its goal of keeping London moving.'
Carl Eddleston, TfL’s head of asset operations, said: 'Our network of red routes are the arteries of London’s road network and play a vital role in helping people get around the capital safely, whether they are walking, cycling, getting the bus or driving. This new contract with Kier will help us to ensure that these important tunnels on our road network are safe and well maintained for years to come.'
TfL is responsible for operating London’s red routes. These form a network of major roads across the capital which make up 5% of London’s roads, while carrying 30% of traffic.
This award establishes Kier Highways as a leading UK road tunnel maintenance service provider, with responsibility for 15 tunnels nationwide with a combined bore length of 6,827km.
It also follows on from Kier's appointment to deliver Lot 2 (North) of the Highways Maintenance and Project Framework for TfL which will run for an initial eight-year period from 2021 to 2029 and is being delivered in joint venture with Tarmac.
