Jacobs reappointed to controversial bridge portfolio

06/05/2021 | CHRIS AMES

Highways England has awarded Jacobs a new £30m contract for ‘the maintenance and disposal’ of over 3,000 assets that make up the Historical Railways Estate (HRE).

Jacobs will be the sole provider for the term contract on the HRE, which includes 77 listed structures across the UK and whose management has been highly controversial.

The new contract is estimated to be worth £30m over a seven-year period, with the option to extend to 10 years.

It will see Jacobs continue its role as professional services supplier to Highways England, delivering multi-disciplinary services including design, site supervision, bridge and scour assessments, abnormal load checking and stakeholder management, as well as environmental, ecological and estate management services across HRE's assets, which include viaducts, bridges, tunnels and culverts.

Donald Morrison, Jacobs People and Places Solutions senior vice president Europe and Digital Strategies, said: ‘Jacobs has a long-established relationship with the Historical Railways Estate and this award provides an excellent opportunity to continue our successful partnership and investment in developing U.K. talent for the next decade.

‘We look forward to working closely with HRE to efficiently manage their assets, with a focus on safety, sustainability and digital delivery.’

Highways England manages the HRE of 3,200 structures on behalf of the Department for Transport. Its plans to infill or demolish more than 100 disused railway bridges, which campaigners say could be needed for new rail or active travel routes, have been strongly criticised, particularly by campaigners the HRE Group.

The group said that Highways England’s plans are coming under increasing pressure from local authorities, with Herefordshire council recently refusing to grant the government-owned company planning permission to infill two bridges on a disused line between Hereford and Hay-on-Wye.

It added that, having previously accepted the use of Permitted Development powers, Northumberland County Council has become the 16th local authority to insist that Highways England obtains planning permission for its infilling schemes.

Jacobs said that as a trusted partner of the HRE since 1998 and sole provider since 2004, it has built and sustained a team that focuses on successfully delivering Highways England's objectives and that over the next seven years it will draw upon its digital innovation capabilities to help HRE manage its estate more efficiently and safely.

Highways InProfile

latest magazine issue
Highways jobs

Senior Civil Engineer - Major Projects x 4

£45,894.00 - £54,952.00
We are looking for experienced engineers to help us progress a number of key projects and programmes Glasgow, Glasgow City
Recruiter: Transport Scotland

Technician - Maintenance

£31001.0000 - £36471.0000 per annum
Essex Highways is responsible for managing and maintaining one of the largest highway networks in the country
Recruiter: Essex County Council

Highways Contract Engineer

£46,731 - £49,764
The team helps provide a safe road network that operates efficiently and effectively.  Northamptonshire
Recruiter: North Northamptonshire Council

Principal Transport Planner

£46,731 - £49,764 (pro-rata)
We are looking for an experienced professional to join us on a six-month temporary contact as a Principal Transport Planner. Kettering, Northamptonshire
Recruiter: North Northamptonshire Council

Highways Maintenance Operative

£Competitive
We have a fantastic opportunity for a Permanent Highways Maintenance Operative Broughton, Brigg
Recruiter: Amey

Head of Highways Contracts & Network

£81,803 progressing to £90,664 per annum
The team includes approximately 60 directly employed HCC people Hertfordshire
Recruiter: Hertfordshire County Council

Principal Construction Manager

£Competitive
We are excited to offer a fantastic opportunity for a Permanent Principal Construction Manager Yorkshire and the Humber
Recruiter: Amey

Quality Technician

£Competitive
We are excited to offer a fantastic opportunity for a Permanent Quality Technician Yorkshire and the Humber
Recruiter: Amey

Senior Highway Engineer (Development Management)

£42679.0000 - £50211.0000 per annum
Senior Highway Engineer (Development Management)Permanent, Full Time£43,960 to £51,718 per annum*Location
Recruiter: Essex County Council

Project Manager (Major Projects)

£44,711 - £47,754
Are you an experienced project professional or engineer with looking to take the next step in your career? Halifax, West Yorkshire
Recruiter: Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council

Senior Civil Engineer - Roads

£45,894 - £54,952
Are you an experienced engineer looking to support the Scottish Government’s national objectives. Scotland
Recruiter: Transport Scotland

Project Team Manager

£55,147 to £60,676 per annum
We are pleased to be able to offer an opportunity for a role as Design Team Manager Norwich, Norfolk
Recruiter: Norfolk County Council

Clerk of Works

GRADE 08 (£37,938 - £41,511)
Warrington is one of the most successful towns in the country Warrington, Cheshire
Recruiter: Warrington Borough Council

Assistant Projects Engineer

GRADE 06 (£29,093 - £32,654),GRADE 07 (£33,366 - £37,035), GRADE 08 (£37,938 - £41,511)
Warrington is one of the most successful towns in the country Warrington, Cheshire
Recruiter: Warrington Borough Council

Principal Engineer - Traffic Management

£45,718 - £48,710 per annum
At Bath & North East Somerset Council we have one overriding purpose – to improve people’s lives. Bath, Somerset
Recruiter: Bath & North East Somerset Council

Vehicle Technician - Improver

£28,624 - £30,060
Transport Services is responsible for all aspects of transport and related services Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
Recruiter: Kirklees Metropolitan Council

Programme Delivery Office Administrator

Grade 9 £31,344 - £33,253 per annum
At Derbyshire, we have been on a journey to transform the way we deliver highway services to make them fit for the future Derbyshire
Recruiter: Derbyshire County Council

Support Officer - Highways Asset Management Systems

£31,586 - £34,314
We are a forward-thinking organisation dedicated to maintaining and improving our highway infrastructure. Lincolnshire
Recruiter: Lincolnshire County Council

Principal Transport Planner (Strategy)

£46,731-£49,764
We are looking for an experienced professional to join North Northamptonshire Council as a Principal Transport Planner (Strategy). Sheerness House, 41 Meadow Road, Kettering moving to Haylock House, Kettering Parkway, Kettering NN15 6EY, United Kingdom
Recruiter: North Northamptonshire Council

Electrical Engineer

Grade 9 £34,314 to £37,938 - Grade 10 £37,035 to £40,476 - Grade 11 £39,513 to £43,693 - Grade 12 £42,708 to £46,731 p.a.
The Construction Consultancy Services (CCS) team provide client-side construction consultancy services across a range of professional disciplines to d Durham
Recruiter: Durham County Council
SUBSCRIBE NOW

Latest Video

Subscribe to Highways today to ensure you keep your finger on the pulse of everything happening in the UK road network throughout the year.

SUBSCRIBE NOW