ARA looks across the water for surface works

Ayrshire Roads Alliance (ARA) has awarded the only two places on a £6m surface dressing framework to firms from England and Northern Ireland.

The ARA is a shared integrated roads and transportation service established in 2014 and provides the combined roads service for East and South Ayrshire Councils, but not North Ayrshire.

The Ailsa Craig from a South Ayrshire road

The contract award notice, issued by Kilmarnock-based East Ayrshire Council, gives the value of the framework as £6m.

It covers the supply and application of carriageway surface dressing or supply and application of binder only at sites within East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire. ‘These works may include pre patching, ironwork repairs, white lining and minor screeding works etc.’

The first works order (2021) shall be included in this Invitation to Tender and shall form the basis of the framework contract/first package of works evaluation.

Only two tenders were received, both from SMES, and both bidders were appointed to the framework. They are Birmingham-based Kiely Bros and John McQuillan (Contracts) Ltd of Lisburn, Co. Antrim.

The framework runs from March 2021 to late February 2023 with the option to extend annually for a further two years.

The first works orders under the framework for 2021 run from this month to the end of September.