Kier Highways will now mainatin all technology assets across Highways England’s Area 13 network, where it where it has delivered the Maintenance and Response contract for the last three years.

This 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 for 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. Prior to Kier having 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.”

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

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.”