The Council of Ministers today authorised the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda (Mitma) to tender three service contracts for the preventive maintenance and improvement of the conventional roads of the State Road Network (RCE), with an estimated value of 414.7 million euros (VAT not included), for the CCAA of Andalusia, Castilla-La Mancha, Extremadura, Aragón, Catalonia, Murcia, La Rioja, Valencian Community, Asturias, Cantabria, Castilla and Galicia.
With respect to La Rioja, 4.71 million euros are allocated for roads A-12; A-13; LO-20; N-111; N-113; N-120; N-120A; N-124; N-126; N-232; N-232A.
The main objective of these three contracts, divided into 25 lots, with an initial period of three years and an additional extension of two others, is to improve the surface and structural characteristics of the firm of conventional roads. However, actions on motorways or motorways may also be included, provided that it is adequately justified.
Features of the new hiring model
With the objective of a “zeroing” of the conventional road network, Mitma introduces a new, more efficient contracting formula that will allow us to achieve a level of conservation that guarantees safe and sustainable driving. This model, already implemented in other administrations, supposes a new conception of this type of actions that come to be understood as a service and not as a traditional work.
This will promote good environmental practices to be implemented by the awardees, such as the calculation of the carbon footprint, the selective collection of waste, the use of lead-free paints and the control of energy, water and fuel consumption; contributing to improving the sustainability of the ETS, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting the environment.
The main advantages of this type of contract are:
- Greater efficiency in the actions in the firm of the RCE, streamlining the administrative procedures.
- Greater flexibility, which will allow the adaptation of the actions to the needs of each moment and situation, allowing the immediacy of the work.
- Exploitation by companies of the advantages of economies of scale, with consequent cost savings.
This contracting model requires a thorough knowledge of the state of the roads and their needs for improvement; this is achieved with adequate asset management systems already implemented in the CER. Thus, through an appropriate use of them it will be possible to “monitor” our roads and prioritize the actions according to the needs of each moment.
This enhances “preventive” maintenance compared to traditional “corrective” maintenance. This new approach will result in a guaranteed improvement of the State Road Network, even further increasing its quality, thereby improving road safety, the sustainability and durability of our road infrastructure and the comfort and comfort of users.
Three contracts for 1,515 km of driveway
Under the three authorized contracts, milling and replacement works, micro-agglomeration, reinforcement, repair of baffles and potholes, recycling and sealing will be carried out, as well as the repainting of road markings and the waterproofing of structures, if necessary.
A total of 1,515.6 km of driveway is expected to be improved. However, the specific schedule of the proceedings will be presented each year by the contractor of each lot and will be approved by the director of the contract. This programming will be in accordance with the budget allocated and may be modified by circumstances that determine the need to include actions in firm whose condition could entail a danger to road safety or require immediate action, due to a deterioration of the pavement greater than expected.