Half way milestone for the Island’s PFI contractor
This year, Island Roads will reach the half way point of its core investment period – the initial seven-year phase in which the work to upgrade the Island’s highways network will have been completed.
By the end of this year’s work, a further 100 kilometres of highway will have been improved bringing the total upgraded to around 280 km – the equivalent of a road running almost three times around the Island or, put another way, from Southampton to London and back again.
“While there is clearly much still to do, a great deal has already been achieved,” says Paul Herbert, Island Roads service director. “It represents a major investment in the Island’s infrastructure at a time when, nationally, councils face a backlog of highways repairs that would take £12 billion and 13 years to address. On the Island however, thanks to a £260 million Government grant secured by the Isle of Wight Council, the network will be transformed from one of the worst in the country to one of the best.”
Island Roads currently has four resurfacing crews working across the Island. Two of these work at night on the more busy urban routes in order to keep disruption to a minimum. Recent night-time work has included Fairlee Road and South Street Newport, Queens Road at Ryde and Beachfield Road, Sandown and Newport Road, Lake.
The contract requires roads of all levels or “hierarchies” to be brought up to standard evenly across the Island, with the average condition of the network to be upgraded across the six districts at an agreed pace. Three quarters of the network is classed as rural and this is why many smaller, less busy roads are being upgraded, usually by day works, alongside the major road schemes.
“It is a huge undertaking,” Paul says. “Given the scale of the project, which delivers many times the level of highways work previously seen on the Island, some disruption is inevitable. Though Island Roads endeavors to give residents and businesses as much advance notice details of upcoming work as possible, the support and co-operation of residents and businesses is much appreciated.
“We do recognise that work of this scale and type will cause some disruption but we hope those affected feel that any short-term inconvenience is offset by the benefits of having the highway network greatly improved.”
Island Roads is keen to stress that besides improving the Island’s infrastructure, the PFI beings other benefits to the local community. So far, more than £34 million has been spent with around 150 Island-based supply chain partners. It is estimated that by the end of the 25-year contract, that figure will be around £175 million. The company is based on Newport’s Daish Way, in a depot built by Island company Stoneham Construction and which will transfer to the IW Council at the end of the 25-year PFI.
It’s more than just resurfacing though. The PFI contract requires the upgrade and also the maintenance of the network over 25-years. Besides upgrading highways, including street furniture and signage, footways and the lighting network (more than 12,000 new energy efficient LED models have already replaced all the old lamps on a one for one basis) Island Roads’ activities also include grass cutting, street sweeping and cleansing and winter maintenance. They are also responsible for more than 800 structures, including Wootton Bridge and Coppins Bridge which have also been strengthened. To do all this, one integrated service employing around 280 local people has been created from several previously separate organisations. All this work is governed by a contract that has more than 400 performance standards. There are with penalties too, described as “service adjustments”, enforced if standards aren’t met.
“It has been an extremely busy and demanding three years since the project mobilised in April 2013,” Paul Herbert says. “I think that most residents would agree that the network has improved significantly and it will continue to get better as we progress through the second half of the core investment period. We must remember that the very reason the Island was awarded Government grant was because the network was among the poorest in the country. By 2020 the network will be amongst the best but bringing about such a turnaround cannot be done overnight.
“There is still much to be done. We know potholes remain an issue for residents and recently we have had five additional crews working to repair them. But while other areas are having to cut their highways budgets we are fortunate that rather than relying on simply patching up the roads, we have a comprehensive and long-term commitment to improve and maintain a high quality network.”
FIND OUT MORE – MEET ISLAND ROADS
Island Roads is keen to engage with the Island’s business community to discuss its work and opportunities to become a supply chain partner. On June 22 Island Roads will be hosting a briefing session for Chamber members at St Christopher House on Daish Way in Newport. See iwchamber.co.uk/events to book a place.
First published in the June 2016 issue of Island Business Magazine.
