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Contractor Balfour Beatty has been awarded two major new long-term maintenance contracts in Scotland and Essex with a total potential value in excess of £300m.

Balfour’s specialist road management and maintenance company, RCS, is working in Scotland with Mouchel Parkman on a contract for the management and maintenance of major trunk roads in the north west of the country by the Scottish Executive.

The five-year contract will commence on 1 April 2006 and has extension options of up to two years. It will be worth approximately £27 million per annum.

It covers over 1,300 km of highways, including strategic ferry routes to Wick, Ullapool and Oban, and some 1,300 structures, including the Skye Bridge.

RCS has also been awarded the five-year term maintenance contract for county roads in Mid and East Essex by Essex County Council. It covers general highways and winter maintenance as well as emergency response on a predominantly rural network.

The contract will commence in April 2006 for an initial five years with the possibility of extensions and is worth approximately £20 million per annum. The county as a whole has more than 7,200 km of roads.

Balfour Beatty Chief Executive, Ian Tyler, said the contracts consolidated Balfour Beatty’s position as a provider in the fast-growing market for highways management and maintenance.

He said: “Our success stems from our commitment to understanding and exceeding customers' expectations and bringing an innovative and disciplined approach to our customer partnerships.'