Amey
The Severn Bridge at night. Credit: Roman Grac from Pixabay.

Amey has secured a £240m specialist bridge inspection and maintenance (SBIM) contract to maintain three major structures in the southwest of the UK.

The contract was awarded by Highways England following an 18-month procurement and tender process.

As agreed, Amey will maintain the M5 Avonmouth Bridge, the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge and the M48 Severn Bridge for 15 years, starting at the end of this November.

The M5 Avonmouth Bridge stretches 1,400m while the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge features three structures: the Avon Viaduct (2,100m), Cable Stay (948m) and the Gwent Viaduct (2,077m).

Meanwhile, the 1,600m-long M48 Severn Bridge is a suspension bridge with a tidal range of 14.5m.

The three structures serve as key transportation links supporting the economy of the southwest and Wales.

The project will include structural inspections, routine maintenance and major renewal work on the bridges. The contract values £16m annually, amounting to £240m in 15 years.

Highways England operations director Nick Harris said: “Our roads and bridges are among the safest in the world and partnerships like this will help maintain high standards on the three large bridges in the southwest.

“By working more closely with our supply chain who carry out maintenance, we will be able to work more effectively, identify innovative ways of working and provide the best possible quality of service to road users.

“We’re delighted to welcome Amey to our southwest community and look forward to building a successful, long-term relationship with them, driving improvement and strengthening our regional expertise together.”

The contract comes around three months after Amey secured a £400m deal to maintain southwest highways in Scotland.

Recently, Kier Highways secured £160m Area 4 maintenance and response contract from Highways England. The contract includes Kent, East Sussex and West Sussex regions.