GW Highways has been awarded a road asset renewal contract by Kent County Council with a value of up to £160m.
The contract started in January 2021 and will last for two years, with the possibility of a further two-year extension.
This term services contract makes GW Highways responsible for delivering the majority of planned road maintenance on Kent County Council’s 5,400 miles of network, covering an area of nearly 4,000 square kilometres across 12 districts; one of the largest local networks in England.
The work will be split into several phases between January 2021 and November 2022 and will see work across multiple sites.
David Gibbins, term services director at GW Highways, says: ‘I am delighted to be able to bring our highways and transportation expertise to Kent County Council through this important contract win. We are committed to working collaboratively with Kent County Council to provide solutions that improve the condition of the network, while also providing a public service that its people are proud to be a part of.’
(Picture: Luke Wenham (left) and David Gibbins – directors of GW Highways)
Michael Payne, Kent County Council’s cabinet member for highways and transportation, says: ‘We very much look forward to working with GW Highways to deliver high quality, low carbon road maintenance in the coming years, and given their proven track record I am convinced they will.’
Feedback demonstrated that GW Highways was appointed to the contract due to its exceptional customer focus and proactive engagement. The senior team leading GW Highways have a proven track record of delivering schemes through effective collaboration and site management.
As a local company, it understands the impact of the work within the local community and is committed to working towards Kent’s objectives, which will impact positively on the customer experience.
A new approach
Formed as a joint venture in March 2020 to establish one of the largest term service contractors in the South East of England, GW Highways is a strategic partnership between leading Kent-based construction management company DJG Management Services Ltd and road surfacing contractors C.W. Surfacing Ltd.
GW Highways delivers all aspects of highways and infrastructure projects and provides a fresh approach to construction. It has the services and connections you would expect from a national business, with the added benefit of an agile and effective local management structure.
The team are committed to their core values of collaboration, innovation, sustainability, implementation and refinement in a way that promotes shared initiatives, developed with their stakeholders to reach effective outcomes.
Adding value
GW Highways suggests that local people are often the best choice to deliver local projects. They live in the communities they are building in, so naturally provide a different level of knowledge and take special care as they are invested in the outcome.
This ethos has both social and economic benefits and ultimately means they are continuing to reinvest locally. So when the team say they’re delivering on local investment – ‘putting your pound back in the ground’ – they really mean it, making them a strong choice for highways and infrastructure clients to obtain better value for their communities.
To build on this added value, GW Highways focuses on providing its customers with innovative solutions through new technologies, investment and the development of local employment and opportunities programmes.
A clear and sustainable vision
One of the key objectives for GW Highways is to reduce the impact that its operations have on the environment. Working together with Kent County Council, the company is helping to achieve shared aims of attaining net zero carbon emissions within the next decade.
Sustainability is at the heart of the business strategy with innovations such as low temperature asphalts already being prioritised to optimise reductions in CO2 emissions from asphalt production under this contract. GW Highways has also partnered with The Carbon Trust to support the ongoing journey to develop more solutions for its clients and customers as part of a road map to net zero.
Luke Wenham, GW Highways’ highways director, adds: ‘We have a responsibility to reduce our carbon emissions and will be setting science-based targets for these. Together with The Carbon Trust, we will help Kent County Council to achieve their aim of net zero carbon emissions within the next decade.’
The GW Highways team comment that this win sets a precedent for the way local authorities and businesses award contracts in the future.
Their supply chain partners have been carefully selected for both their expertise and shared values, with the majority made up of locally-based contractors who are able to reach the exacting standards required.
The GW Highways team are excited for the future, knowing they have the capabilities and experience to deliver major projects for their clients.
This most recent contract win with Kent County Council has given them the opportunity to fully showcase their expertise.
