19 Jul 2012
A joint venture between Opus International Consultants (Opus) and Arup has won the contract for highway network management services with Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) in the UK.
This is a £7 million pa. seven-year contract with the option of a five-year extension.
An end-to-end ‘whole client service’ model, created by the council as part of its strategy to save 20% on the cost of services, will see Arup, Opus and HCC working together as a single team to collectively develop, implement and manage technical strategies and programmes for the county’s highway network.
HCC is recognised as being at the forefront of the development and implementation of highway asset management within the UK, which creates strong synergies for working in collaboration with fellow leaders in the field such as Opus and Arup.
“This is an exciting opportunity to showcase what we can achieve by working together with HCC and Opus to maximise efficiencies for the benefit of the client and everyone who uses the Hertfordshire road network.”
— Arup Director, Allen Paul
In establishing the ‘whole client service’ model, the Opus-Arup partnership will co-locate with HCC. Mr Paul says the partnership is confident it will provide substantial benefits to the Council.
“Clients are now looking for greater added value in the development and management of their infrastructure and we are committed to working in partnerships to bring about service excellence and project success,”.
"We already have a strong working relationship with HCC, with Opus working for the council on a regular basis, so it is a natural partnership. We look forward to working with HCC as part of the Opus/Arup team.”
— Opus Chief Executive and Managing Director, Dr David Prentice
With austerity measures in place in many markets, the focus on effective management is growing with economic conditions forcing moves towards better asset management, cost saving and a ‘whole of life' approach.