£3bn contract in the pipeline at Essex

Essex County Council is exploring options for when its current road maintenance contract ends in 2027, with the future deal expected to be valued up to £3bn.

The new contract would run from April 2027 for seven years, ending on 31 March 2034. The county’s current partner, Ringway Jacobs, will see out the remainder of its contract until March 2027.

A spokesperson for Essex County Council said: ‘We are currently scoping out the challenges and opportunities for the highways service in Essex beyond the current partnership between the council and Ringway Jacobs.

'The partnership runs to the end of March 2027. The council is looking carefully at what service will be required from April 2027 to deliver Essex’s priorities in maintaining and improving the network of highways across the county. The tender for the highways contract will be published in the autumn.’

In a pipeline notice, outlining the potential scope of the deal, the council said the contractor would undertake reactive and planned maintenance and the 'design and delivery of improvement schemes'.

The contractor will also be expected to support the council's 'growth agenda and related plans and strategies' and proactively embrace and implement 'best practice, innovations and new technologies enabling the service to continually improve'.

The deal is advertised at £2.5bn or £3bn including VAT.

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