Highways Agency - Safe roads, Reliable journeys, Informed travellers

The Project

The A1 through Yorkshire forms part of a strategic link in the national network between Scotland, the north-east and the south of England.

The A1 Darrington to Dishforth DBFO Project comprises improvements to and the operation and maintenance of 33 miles (53km) of the A1(M)/A1(T) between Darrington, south of the A1(M)/M62 Interchange and the A1(M)/A168 Interchange at Dishforth, east of Ripon and includes three Programme of Major Schemes improvements,  A1(M) Wetherby to Walshford (completed), A1(M) Ferrybridge to Hook Moor (completed) and  A1 Bramham to Wetherby (completed), and  handed to RMS on completion.

Additionally the project includes improvements to motorway signing, signalling and emergency telephones.

Key Data

Length of Project Road	32.93 miles (53 km)
Estimated Construction Cost	£245M
Contract Award	13 Feb 2003
Commencement	7 May 2003
First Opened to Traffic	Programme of Major Schemes improvements: A1(M) Wetherby to Walshford - August 2005 A1(M) Ferrybridge to Hook Moor - 20 Jan 2006 A1 Bramham to Wetherby ECI scheme - July 2009
End of Contract Period	33 years after commencement
DBFO Company	Road Management Services (Darrington) Ltd (RMS)
Type of Road	Dual 3 Lane Motorway
Shareholders	Barclays Infrastructure Investors Ltd Semperian Kellogg Brown & Root Limited
Contractors	Tarmac/AECOM

Discussion

The A1 Darrington to Dishforth DBFO Contract was awarded to Road Management Services (Darrington) Ltd in February 2003.

Road Management Services are undertaking all maintenance activities from new purpose built offices in the Highways Agency Motorway Maintenance Depot off the A168 at Boroughbridge (A1(M) junction 48).

The A1(M) Wetherby to Walshford Section was fully opened to traffic in August 2005.

The A1(M) Ferrybridge to Hook Moor Section was fully opened to traffic on 20 January 2006.

The A1 Bramham to Wetherby improvement Scheme to up-grade the A1 all purpose trunk road section around Wetherby to motorway sandard started May 2007 and was completed in July 2009.  RMS has assumed operational responsibility as an integral part of the overall project.

The A1 DBFO project is unique by the fact that RMS will be paid by the Highways Agency under a new payment arrangement.  The payment mechanisms incentivise RMS to operate this length of the A1(M) such that congestion is kept to an absolute minimum and that the highest standards of safety are achieved.  The new payment arrangements which have not been used anywhere else in the world will ensure the highest standards of service to the travelling public by encouraging the operator to deliver a safe road providing reliable journeys with the maximum information for travellers.

RMS has employed the services of Tarmac/AECOM to undertake all routine maintenance on the A1 nework as part of their operational duties.