The State Government is getting on with the job to ensure local roads remain safe for motorists and other road users by awarding various contracts to deliver maintenance works on about 23,000 kilometres of road network across South Australia.
The new contract awards extend the South Australian Government’s 20-year partnership with industry to keep state roads safe for travel.
About 60 per cent of road maintenance services are currently outsourced and the new model will enable all road maintenance works to be delivered in conjunction with industry to take advantage of their expertise.
“These new contracts will allow us to leverage the expertise and efficiency of industry to deliver better and safer roads for South Australian motorists.
“We have 23,000 kilometres of road network (14,000km sealed and 9,000km unsealed) in South Australia and our priority is keeping our roads as safe as possible for motorists,” Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government Stephan Knoll said.
The contract awards are split into four zones, namely:
“These companies are experts in road maintenance and employ thousands of South Australians either under existing contracts or on past projects.
“These companies have been maintaining tens of thousands of kilometres of South Australia’s road network over many years and have been employing thousands of South Australians over that time,” Mr Knoll said.
In addition, the new contracts include performance indicators that target and monitor the use of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The contracts also require the demonstration of achievement Industry Participation Policy (IPP) targets and compliance with subcontractor principles. If performance thresholds are not met, financial consequences will occur.
The contracts will each have a maximum term of 13 years, where the contractors will deliver road maintenance services on their dedicated areas.
In a statement, Downer EDI said that the company will be maintaining about 8,500 kilometres of roads in the State’s Metropolitan and Regional North zones.
“Downer has been maintaining South Australian roads since 2003. Currently, Downer is providing maintenance and emergency road services to DPTI, but under these new contracts Downer will also deliver a range of other services including maintenance of intelligent transport systems, management of third party works and minor capital improvements.
“Overall, Downer will deliver reliable road networks to ensure efficient and safe journeys and also provide opportunities for local service providers and suppliers,” Downer Chief Executive Officer Grant Fenn said.
Fulton Hogan said in a statement that the company's contract award will include maintaining about 5,800 kilometres of road spanning from Port Wakefield to Renmark in the Riverland, down to Mt Gambier and back to Victor Harbor.
The company's contract will also include the delivery of additional minor capital works.
“Fulton Hogan builds and maintains the roads, ports, airports and infrastructure which connects communities and brings people together.
“We currently employ 500 South Australians across our civil maintenance, manufacturing, utilities and construction activities and look forward to continuing to work with DPTI to provide a safe and reliable road network for the South Australian community,” Fulton Hogan Infrastructure Services CEO Matthew MacMahon said.
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Source: Premier of South Australia; Downer EDI Limited; Fulton Hogan; Road Traffic Technology; Roads & Infrastructure Australia; Trailer Magazine