Essex County Council has begun the process of finding a new highways maintenance contractor, including a possible redesign of its highways service.
The council's current contract with Ringway Jacobs began in 2012 and was extended for a further five years in 2022.
With the contract coming to an end in 2027, the authority said work has started to understand what the highways service might look like in four years' time, as officers prepare to host the first of a series of market engagement events with the industry.
It said it is looking carefully at what service will be required from April 2027 to deliver its priorities in maintaining and improving the county's network of highways, as well as contributing to its aspirations around the environment, climate change and net zero, and ‘levelling up the economy'.
Last year Essex Highways deployed electric-powered hoists in Mobile Elevated Work Platforms
A series of events is being planned to allow businesses in the highways industry to find out ‘more about where the council is in this discovery process'.
The council added that this will be an opportunity for officers working on the programme to listen and learn about what the industry has to offer in terms of new technology and innovation, sustainability, decarbonisation, social value, and potential income generation opportunities.
The first event will be held on Wednesday 5 July in Chelmsford, where the highways industry is invited to attend in person or online to learn more about working with the council, its ambitions and commitments.
To find out more and sign up (by noon Thursday 22 June), see the prior information notice.
Following this event, the council will email a questionnaire to all registered attendees (whether in person or virtual) to continue keeping in touch ‘on this journey to a new way for Essex to deliver Highway Services'.
