A new £13m contract to maintain roads in Liverpool for the next five years is awarded to two local firms with a combined turnover of more than £50m. Tony McDonough reports

Merseyside highways specialists Dowhigh and Huyton Asphalt Civils have jointly secured a £13m roads maintenance contract with Liverpool City Council.

Dowhigh, which has annual revenues of more than £18m, and HA Civils, with annual revenues of almost £34m, will take on the contrary which will run for up to five years. LBN has asked the city council to reveal the value of the deal.

Both companies have already delivered highways contracts for the city in the last few years. This contract award comes as the council nears the completion of the Highways Improvement Plan 2 (HIP2), which has seen more than £11m invested in the city’s roads.

As part of the contract, awarded by the authority’s cabinet, the two firms are committed to creating social value that will see benefit to the community in addition to the work carried out.

Liverpool City Council has also recently announced a new £4m contract for the Traffic Signal Upgrade Programme. This initiative aims to modernise six key junctions, enhance pedestrian safety, reduce congestion and promote active travel.

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In addition, the authority is a key partner in ADEPT Live Labs 2, a three-year, UK-wide £30 million programme funded by the Department for Transport that aims to decarbonise the local highway network.

The Council is pioneering the use of smart road and highway technologies with a series of experiments across the city on roads, pedestrian crossings and cycle paths.

Matt Corke, framework director at Dowhigh, said: “As a local, family-run business with deep roots in Merseyside, we’re committed to delivering high-quality, long-lasting highway repairs that make a real difference to communities across the city.

“Through close collaboration with the council, we’ll focus on efficient pothole repairs and resurfacing, helping to make Liverpool’s roads safer and more reliable.”

Tony Carney, managing director of HA Civils, added: “As a proud Liverpool business, we are committed to building upon the great work we’ve delivered over many years and supporting the council’s vision for a fairer, cleaner, and stronger city.”