Worcestershire seeks consulting firms for £65M roads deal

Worcestershire County Council has launched the procurement process for a £65M framework for civil engineering consultancy services.Up to five firms will be able to win a spot on the framework, which will cover the delivery of highways and transportation services.According to the council the framework will cover, but is not limited to, project management, quantity surveying, programme management and NEC4 project management provision.Other roles will include transport planning and business case development, ecology and sustainability appraisals, planning support, flood design and risk assessments, and road safety audits.The framework will run for an initial five and a half years with invitations to tender expected to be sent no later than 21 October.The framework launch comes days after the government pledged £43M of government funding for A38 upgrades to tackle congestion, improve local journeys, and support thousands of new jobs and homes.According to the Department for Transport (DfT), the A38 currently experiences significant congestion during the weekday rush hour, with severe delays at junctions and unreliable journey times affecting local residents’ ability to travel and get to work.The upgrade will include construction of new traffic lanes at key junctions and widening of the existing road, helping to improve traffic flow and reduce the threat of any unnecessary bottlenecks in the region. These upgrades will take place on a 12km stretch of the route, between the M5 Junction 4 to the north and the A38/B4094 to the south.