Better information for your journey
The National Traffic Control Centre collects real-time information on road conditions.
The Project Control Framework
On 1st April 2008 we launched the Project Control Framework. The Framework sets out how we, together with the Department for Transport, manage and deliver major improvement projects.
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Helpful ways to access the latest traffic information when you need it.
Change
The DBFO contracts represent the Agency's current approach on how to meet the demands on each project road. Over each 30 year contract period however, circumstances will change, and the Agency therefore, needed to reserve the right to change the service specification during the contract period, because it retains responsibility for strategic management of the whole network. To do this, a change procedure was required within each contract.
Bidders however would not enter into an agreement where there was the possibility of the Agency changing the specification at extra, unanticipated cost to them. The solution was for the DBFO contract to contain scope for possible changes required by the Agency, and for the method of adjusting the payment mechanism to allow for the change in costs or effects on traffic flow.
The main changes that the Agency can require are:
- change to the agreed specification of the design, construction or operation and maintenance of the project; and
- additional works on the project road (ie. in addition to the road schemes included in the DBFO project). The additional works may be procured either by DBFO Co, as project manager for the Agency, or by the Agency, in which case DBFO Co can compete for the construction works.
The party raising the change identifies the change in costs and/or traffic. Generally, the effect of the change, either on its own or cumulatively with other change costs, must exceed a specified threshold before the toll revision mechanism is operated. If the changes or the issue of whether the threshold has been exceeded cannot be agreed they are referred to a disputes resolution process. The revised costs and/or change in anticipated revenues, caused by a change in traffic, are put into the financial model of the project to establish a revised Net Present Value (NPV) of net cash flow. Adjustment is then made to future toll levels (either up or down) to ensure that the NPV of net cash flow is the same as before the eligible change.
