South Wales Councils Launch £270m Highways Framework for Long-Term Network Investment

South Wales local authorities are preparing to launch a £270 million highways framework designed to support long-term investment in roads, bridges and transport infrastructure, providing contractors with greater certainty while strengthening the resilience of one of Wales' most important strategic highway networks.

A new £270 million highways framework is set to underpin the delivery of major road and bridge improvements across South Wales, with local authorities joining forces to create a long-term procurement vehicle capable of supporting infrastructure investment well into the next decade.

The SWTRA Highways & Structures Framework 2027 is being led by Neath Port Talbot County Borough Councilon behalf of Carmarthenshire and Monmouthshire County Councils, bringing together a collaborative approach to procuring highways maintenance, structural engineering and surfacing works across the region.

The framework will commence in February 2027 with an initial four-year term and the option to extend for a further two years, creating a potential six-year programme intended to give contractors the confidence to invest in skills, equipment and innovation.

Up to eight contractors will be appointed across two specialist lots.

Comprehensive Infrastructure Delivery

The largest element of the framework, Lot 1, has an estimated value of £152 million and will cover a broad range of highways and structural engineering works.

Projects will include bridge strengthening, carriageway maintenance, active travel infrastructure, tunnel maintenance, traffic management, street lighting, intelligent transport systems, environmental improvement schemes and depot developments.

The second package, Lot 2, is valued at £118 million and focuses on highway surfacing together with associated works such as pavement renewal, drainage improvements, kerbing, footway construction, road markings, vegetation clearance and emergency maintenance.

Together, the two lots provide local authorities with a flexible delivery model capable of supporting both planned capital programmes and reactive maintenance across the strategic network.

Supporting Long-Term Asset Management

The participating councils believe the longer framework duration will generate better value for money by providing contractors with a stable pipeline of work while supporting more effective long-term asset management.

Greater certainty is expected to encourage investment in people, plant and new technologies, helping suppliers improve productivity while delivering increasingly complex infrastructure projects.

The framework also aligns with wider ambitions to improve the resilience, reliability and sustainability of South Wales' transport network.

Serving Communities Across South Wales

The framework will support highways and infrastructure projects across the South Wales strategic road network, covering Cardiff, the Vale of Glamorgan, Swansea, Bridgend, Neath Port Talbot, Carmarthenshire, Monmouthshire, Newport and the Gwent Valleys.

It will become one of the principal procurement routes for future highways maintenance and improvement schemes throughout the region.

Procurement Gets Underway This Autumn

The formal procurement process will begin with the publication of the Invitation to Tender on 7 September 2026, with successful contractors expected to be appointed in early December.

The framework is scheduled to become operational on 1 February 2027, providing South Wales authorities with a long-term delivery partner framework capable of supporting continued investment in roads, bridges and transport infrastructure for years to come.