Asset management review of Highways England geotechnics and drainage

Tender description

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) independently monitors Highways England’s management of the motorways and main A roads in England. This includes investigating, publishing reports and giving advice to the Secretary of State on whether and at what cost it is meeting the objectives of the current Road Investment Strategy (RIS). The RIS sets the outcomes, outputs and capital investments that Highways England must deliver over the first road period (April 2015 to March 2020). The Investment Plan, part of the RIS, outlines a five-year capital funding package of £11.4 billion for Highways England to invest in maintaining, renewing and improving the strategic road network. This includes: • a programme of major improvement schemes, of more than £7 billion; • a maintenance and renewals programme, of approximately £3.7 billion; • a £675m programme of ring-fenced investment funds; and • investment associated with strategic studies. A key part of ORR’s monitoring is to understand Highways England’s delivery of its maintenance and renewal programme, including whether it is adopting a sustainable approach managing its assets. Highways England sets out its high-level plans for the volumes and costs of maintenance and renewal work in its Delivery Plan, and its subsequent updates. Highways England provides to ORR, on a regular basis, progress reports of maintenance and renewal delivery including a summary of expenditure against budget, renewals volumes and asset inventory and condition information. The strategic road network’s assets fall into five main categories: pavement, structures, geotechnical, drainage and technology. The purpose of this project is to assess Highways England’s development and delivery of sustainable and efficient asset interventions by carrying out in-depth reviews of maintenance and renewal delivery for geotechnical and drainage assets. We are carrying out this work in collaboration with Highways England.