Balfour Beatty Living Places has won an eight-year, £176m highways maintenance contract with Buckinghamshire Council, with an option to extend for a further four years.
Beginning on 1 April 2023, the contract covers the county's more than 5,000km of highways, carriageways, footpaths, and cycle routes.
In addition, Balfour Beatty will also be responsible for delivering winter maintenance services, the operation and maintenance of the county’s street lighting and key community assets including gullies and traffic signals.
As part of plans to drive down carbon emissions and reduce waste, the company said it would employ reused rubber asphalt when laying new road surfaces and install electric charging points at its depots to facilitate the use of its electric vehicle fleet.
An 'Operational Efficiency Hub’ will also be established to monitor all activities in real-time, track progress of works and capture data to drive further efficiencies across the network.
In terms of social value, Balfour Beatty said it would dedicate 50% of its spend to local businesses, and as part of its commitment to The 5% Club, will ensure a minimum of 5% of its workforce comprises of graduates, apprentices and trainees.
Steve Helliwell, managing director of Balfour Beatty Living Places, said: 'Today’s announcement builds on our longstanding expertise and commitment to providing best-in-class highways maintenance services, whilst offering customer-focused solutions in a collaborative partnership.
'Wherever we operate, we go above and beyond for our customers with an unrelenting focus on leaving a lasting positive legacy for the communities we serve; working with local supply chain partners whilst also creating numerous apprenticeship and graduate opportunities.'
Cllr Steven Broadbent, Buckinghamshire Council’s cabinet member for transport said: 'We are pleased that, after a rigorous selection process, Balfour Beatty Living Places will be working with Buckinghamshire Council to provide a new model of highways services that meets our aspirations for a faster and more responsive service to best meet the needs of residents and road users.
'We know how important the condition of our roads and footpaths is for local residents and this new contract will allow us to map out a detailed strategic plan for the future.
'We are focused on channelling our resources into making lasting improvements, whilst at the same time standing by our commitment to cut our carbon emissions and take the lead in adopting new and innovative techniques that achieve value for money.'
