Kier to Maintain Tech Assets on Area 13 Contract

Kier Highways has announced that it is now maintaining the technology assets throughout the Highways England Area 13 network where it has delivered the Maintenance and Response contract for the last three years.

This technology element of the contract will remain in place for the next 11 years. This also follows the end of the North West Regional Technology Maintenance Contract and is part of Highways England’s drive to integrate technology maintenance into all Maintenance and Response contracts, meaning it would have a more consistent approach to maintaining the asset.

Four employees have joined the Area 13 contract as part of this, bringing technology expertise into the team. Before Kier had the Area 13 Maintenance and Response contract, it maintained the network under the Managing Agent Contractor Contract.

Matt Smith, Senior Technology Maintenance Manager at Kier Highways, said: “We’re extremely pleased to welcome the new technology engineers to the Area 13 M&R team. Technology is a key element of keeping our network operational and safe, and I’m confident that the skills our new colleagues bring with them will help build on the successes we’ve achieved in the region to date. Integrating the technology asset will allow us to deliver a full turnkey solution in maintaining our network, as well as delivering efficiencies.”

Dave Dickinson, Highways England’s regional change lead in the North West, said: “We are pleased to have worked closely with Kier Highways to successfully implement this change of including the maintenance for roadside technology assets within the Area 13 M&R contract. The North West region was the first Highways England region to add roadside technology maintenance into the Asset Delivery operating model and M&R contracts which will result in safety, efficiency and customer service benefits for our customers. I’d like to thank Kier Highways for the help in delivering a smooth transition and the knowledge learned through mobilising this change will now be used to make the same change in all other Highways England regions in the near future.”

The Kier Highways Area 9 contract first trialled this new integrated model and was part of Progressive Asset Delivery last year. Its Area 4 contract will start the integration of technology maintenance into the M&R contract from 2022.

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