Shortlist for Forth bridges operating contract announced

Three companies have reached the pre-qualification stage of the Forth bridges operating contract-tendering process.

The contract, which is worth between £40 and £60 million over five years, will provide an operating company with responsibility for inspecting and maintaining both the Forth Road Bridge and the new Queensferry Crossing and the adjacent road network.

The companies in the running are:

• Amey LG Ltd



• Ringway-Jacobs- Cofiroute (a consortia of Cofiroute SA, Jacobs UK and Ringway Infrastructure Services)



• Scotland TranServ (a consortia of Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering and Mouchel Limited).

The next stage of the tendering process is a competitive dialogue process to seek best value for the public purse and ensure high quality delivery. The contract, will run for five years with scope for extending for a further five years and the successful bidder is expected to be announced in November 2014.

Transport Minister Keith Brown said: “The Forth bridges operating company is due to commence work in June 2015. This stage is an important step in the process to award the right to operate this prestigious contract worth between £40 million to £60 million over five years.

“The Forth bridges are a vital part of the connectivity of the trunk road network, and in ensuring ongoing sustainable economic growth in Scotland. The contract includes protection of terms and conditions for all existing staff, and will seek to ensure opportunities for apprenticeships in the local community.”