A CH2M/Costain joint venture has been awarded a £300 million contract to carry out 2,000 miles of road improvements in East Sussex.Following the announcement of the JV as preferred bidder in late December, the two companies were formally awarded the £300m contract last week which will last for seven years, with work due to commence on 1 May 2016.The CH2M/Costain joint venture will be responsible for maintaining the East Sussex highways network, including roads, pavements, drainage, street lights, traffic lights and structures. It will also be tasked with providing winter gritting across the county and delivering highway improvement schemes.Commenting on the programme, Cllr Carl Maynard, East Sussex County Council lead member for transport and environment, said: “We were very impressed with the bid from Costain CH2M, who have a lot of experience with major infrastructure projects and highway maintenance and were able to offer a proposal which met all our needs and offered value for money for the taxpayer.“One of the key things for us was their commitment to put customers at the heart of their service, to listen to and respond to the public, who have a valuable role to play in letting us know about any issues with our roads which need addressing.”Peter McDermott, director of highways at CH2M, said: “CH2M is delighted to have been awarded this important highways services contract by East Sussex County Council. We look forward to working alongside Costain on this seven year contract and building on our proven record for delivering highway services in collaborative teams.”