Kier and National Highways are celebrating 20 years since the creation of the Area 13 maintenance region, covering the motorways and strategic roads in North Lancashire and Cumbria.
For a generation, the Area 13 contract has supported some of Britain's most important tourist routes - the Fylde Coast, the Yorkshire Dales and Lake District National Parks - and covers access to many Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and sites of special scientific interest.
Area 13 also includes vital links to Scotland, the west coast of Cumbria, as well as links to key employers in the region such as the Sellafield Nuclear Plant and BAE Systems in Barrow-in-Furness.
Kier Highways has been the principal contractor in Area 13 for the past 13 years - delivering severe weather service and incident response, cyclic and reactive maintenance and improvements works across a 376km network.
And in 2017, Kier's contract was renewed for another 15 years, which will see the Tier One contractor continue to deliver Area 13 maintenance and renewals until 2032.
James Birch, managing director of Kier Highways maintenance business, said: 'Our role on the roads is more than just fixing potholes, and cutting the grass. We manage a wide range of services with the aim of keeping the roads in North Lancashire and Cumbria as safe and reliable as possible. Through our collaborative approach with National Highways, we are connecting people; road users, businesses, and local communities and it’s fantastic to celebrate this significant milestone.'
'Our workforce is the backbone of our contract in Area 13,' said Mr Graham Porter, general manager at Kier Highways.
'Many of our people have been with us for the full 20 years, and we're extremely proud of the great work they do day in, day out.'
Over the years, Kier has supported local SMEs through its supply chain and invested in social value under a number of long-running successful partnerships with organisations such as Recycling Lives - to provide career prospects to ex-offenders and disadvantaged people.
