Bury Council Launches £168m Highways Works Framework to Upgrade Borough Roads

Bury Council has launched the first stage of a highways works framework worth up to £168 million, covering construction, maintenance, and civil engineering services across the borough.

The Metropolitan Borough of Bury published the tender notice on 30 January under the Procurement Act 2023, with the framework scheduled to run for four years from July 2026 to June 2030.

The framework is split into 11 lots, spanning minor and reactive maintenance, preventive maintenance, carriageway surfacing, lining and anti-skid works, street lighting, major civils, drainage inspection, highway structures, and coring. Individual project values range from £1,000 for testing work to more than £10 million for major civil engineering schemes.

Bury Council estimates the total framework value at £140 million excluding VAT, noting that lot values may be shared across multiple workstreams, with no guaranteed spend levels for any individual lot. The authority intends to appoint up to three suppliers per lot, with work awarded through call-offs or direct awards during the framework term.

Stage one of the process will assess bidders on legal, financial, and technical ability on a pass/fail and scored basis. Successful firms will be invited to tender at stage two. Tenders must be submitted by 27 February, with contract awards expected in April.

Highways Works Framework Lots

• Lot 1: Minor and reactive maintenance – including drainage, traffic calming, and safety works (£10,000–£250,000).

• Lot 2: Preventive maintenance – including surface dressing, slurry sealing, and in-situ recycling (£50,000–£1m).

• Lot 3: Carriageway surfacing – including planing, resurfacing, and ironwork adjustments (£100,000–£2.5m).

• Lot 4: Lining, anti-skid, and coloured surfacing – including road markings and cycle lane treatments (£5,000–£50,000).

• Lot 5: Street lighting – including column replacement, LED upgrades, and cabling (schemes up to £260,000).

• Lot 6: Major civils – including junction improvements, highway realignment, and active travel schemes (£250,000 to £10m+).

• Lot 7: CCTV and jetting inspection – including drainage surveys, cleansing, and condition assessments (£2,000–£25,000).

• Lot 8.1: Highway structures (minor) – up to £150,000, covering routine maintenance and minor repairs.

• Lot 8.2: Highway structures (medium) – £150,000–£750,000, including deck repairs and waterproofing.

• Lot 8.3: Highway structures (major) – over £750,000, including major refurbishments and bridge replacement.

• Lot 9: Coring – including pavement coring, materials testing, and site investigations (£1,000–£5,000).

  
  

The framework aims to deliver efficient, safe, and sustainable highways improvements across Bury, supporting both routine maintenance and major infrastructure projects over the next four years.