Invitation to bid for M25 widening and management contract
HIGHWAYS AGENCY News Release (HA080-05) issued by the Government News Network on 8 November 2005
The Highways Agency is inviting formal expressions of interest from potential bidders for a contract to widen most of the current three lane sections of the M25 motorway to four lanes in each direction. The contract will also cover the operation and maintenance of the whole of the M25.
An advertisement in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) has just been published, the first stage in the formal procurement process.
The project is being offered as a single DBFO (Design, Build, Finance and Operate) contract. The successful bidder will be responsible for the phased widening of 63 miles of the M25 to four lanes in each direction, valued at around £1.5 billion.
The DBFO Company will also be responsible for the future operation and maintenance of the M25 and parts of the motorways and other strategic routes that intersect it, and for operating the Dartford River Crossing, over a 30 year period, valued at around £100 million per year. The DBFO company would collect, but would not retain, toll revenue from the Dartford Crossing on behalf of the Department for Transport.
Dr Stephen Ladyman, the Minister for Roads, said:
"The M25 suffers from severe congestion, threatening jobs and prosperity over a wide area. New lanes will help to improve traffic flows. Widening will take place within the existing motorway boundaries and will be part of our broader long term strategy of managing traffic on the M25."
Steve Rowsell, the Highways Agency's Director of Procurement, said:
"Offering the M25 widening contract as a single DBFO has many advantages over multiple contracts. A strategic partnership between the Agency and one supplier will allow us to give better value for money to the taxpayer, not just through economies of scale in procurement, but also with development of best practice between construction phases.
"The construction phases will be carefully managed to reduce the impact of the work on drivers and keep motorway traffic flowing."
Interested parties were invited in April 2005 to put their views on a number of options for contract. Their comments have helped the Highways Agency to shape and select its chosen approach, which it believes will offer overall efficiency and best value.
Notes to Editors
- The Highways Agency is an Executive Agency of the Department for Transport, which manages, maintains and improves the network of trunk roads and motorways in England on behalf of the Secretary of State.
- Widening of the remaining dual-three lane sections of the M25 was proposed by the M25 Orbit multi modal study and e ntered the Government's programme of major road schemes (the Targeted Programme of Improvements or TPI) in April 2004. (Highways Agency press notice HA030/04 refers.) Since then the Agency has been d eveloping the design, programming and procurement arrangements for these schemes.
- Publication in the OJEU (Official Journal of the European Union) marks the start of the 'prequalification of tenderers' stage, at which potential bidders are invited to express interest. After evaluation, all respondents who meet the threshold requirements will go on to the next stage. Outline proposals will be requested in Spring 2006 and shortlisted to three before the final decision on contract award. The aim is to achieve contract award before the end of 2007 and a start of works in early 2008.
- The M25 DBFO contract is to widen most of the existing dual-three lane stretches of the motorway to four lanes in each direction. The affected sections are:
Section | Length |
| km | miles |
M25 Jct 16 to 23 (M40 - A1 (M)) | 35 | 21.7 |
M25 Jct 5 to 7 (M26 - M23/Redhill) | 17 | 10.5 |
M25 Jct 27 to 30 (M11 - Thurrock) | 23 | 14.3 |
M25 Jct 23 to 27 (A1(M) - M11) | 27 | 16.7 |
The remaining section of widening, from junction 1b to 3 is being procured separately in conjunction with the Highways Agency's A2/A282 project.
- Construction is subject to the completion of statutory procedures and the availability of funding. Work, which would be carefully planned in phases to keep disruption to a minimum, could begin in 2008. All d ates have yet to be confirmed.
Issued by the Highways Agency Press Office. For further information please contact 020 7081 7443.
Out of hours the Highways Agency Duty Press Officer can be contacted by phoning 020 7081 7443.
All other enquiries about the Highways Agency, its role and responsibilities, should be made through the Highways Agency Information Line on 08457 50 40 30.
