Essex County Council in the UK has chosen Ringway Jacobs joint venture as its preferred bidder for the £1bn, ten-year highway maintenance and service contract.

The winning bidder will carry out highways infrastructure maintenance work, resurfacing and improvement works and provide client support services.

The company will be responsible for carrying out the majority of the highways and transportation services under a strategic partnership with Essex council from 1 April 2012.

Nine of the ten major highway contracts in Essex are scheduled to end on 31 March 2012 and the final contract is coming to an end on 31 March 2013.

Essex Country Council is planning to replace all the existing contracts to operate highways with one long-term partnership arrangement.

The contract will be run for ten years with an option to extend it by further five years.