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Decision means a tender will be published later this autumn for new contract from April 2027.
A key milestone in the process of continuing to improve the county’s road network has been given the green light by Essex County Council’s Cabinet today (Thursday 16 October).
The decision, which is subject to call-in, means a tender will be published later this autumn enabling interested suppliers to submit their bids to be responsible for the maintenance and repair of more than 5,000 miles of Essex roads.
The current highways contract has run for 15 years and will expire on 31 March 2027. It is intended to award the new contract to a single provider (contractor and professional services). The new contract would start on 1 April 2027, for a period of seven years at an estimated value of £1 billion.
The successful bidder will enter into a contract with the council in year one of the contract (2027/28) and, from 1 April 2028, the contract will be disaggregated to each of the new unitary authorities in Greater Essex. Each new unitary council will then manage its own highways contract with the provider, and commission its own works through it.
A larger and more “intelligent” client team will be established. This will enable better commissioning of services and greater oversight of works to deliver best value for the residents of Essex and provide greater resilience through the transition to new unitary authorities.
As well as delivering core highway maintenance responsibilities, the successful bidder will be expected to demonstrate how they will support the council's ambition to drive innovation opportunities and mitigate environmental challenges through the works and services they deliver across Essex.
Councillor Tom Cunningham, Cabinet Member for Highways, Infrastructure and Sustainable Transport, said: “Everyone across Essex uses the highways network in some form, and it’s only right that residents have high expectations when it comes to delivering a highways service that delivers much needed repair and maintenance while providing value for money.
“We want residents to be proud of where they live, which is why the council has invested significant additional funding in highways over the last three years.
“But we must develop a service that is fit for the future and can tackle not just the challenges of repairing and maintaining our county’s roads but best serve local communities as new unitary authorities take over the responsibility for highways from 2028.
“I believe the next highways contract, which will be published for tender later this autumn, will provide the right ambition and opportunities to deliver exactly that.”
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