The new world of state highway maintenance

The NZ Transport Agency has awarded the first of its new state highway network maintenance and operations contracts for the Bay of Plenty area.

This new Network Operations Contract covers the Rotorua and Eastern bay sub-region and has been let to a partnership led by Higgins.

This $79 million contract will run over seven years and is designed to deliver improved road maintenance efficiencies and reduced costs, says the Transport Agency's Highways Manager for the Bay of Plenty Brett Gliddon.

"This is a new operating framework for the Transport Agency. In the past, there have been a number of consultants and physical works contracts for delivering maintenance works on the state highway network. With this new way of doing business there is one contract for a larger area, which includes the Rotorua, Whakatane, Opotiki and Kawerau districts," Mr Gliddon said.

Higgins has formed a partnership with Beca, and local Bay of Plenty contractors Waiotahi, Combined Roads and Traffic (CRTS), and Avalon Industrial services to deliver the new contract.

Higgins provided a strong and well balanced locally based team that would ensure that the new operating framework will be delivered effectively and cost efficiently.

The contract is performance-based, with the focus being on the delivery of good quality outcomes for the state highway network and all road users.

The new contract will take effect on July 1, 2014.

The next contract to be awarded for the region will be announced in November 2014 for the Western Bay of Plenty area, which will cover state highways in the Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty area.

Mr Gliddon thanks the current highway contractors, Opus and Downer, who over many years have contributed significantly to the maintenance and management of the Rotorua and Eastern Bay of Plenty state highway networks.

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