This innovative new alliance is the first of its kind in the UK. It sees TfL and the London Boroughs working together to procure highways works from a pre-priced, standard list of services from chosen contractors covering the four main areas of London (north east, north west, central and south). 

Every London Borough will have the opportunity to work with the chosen contractor in their area for the works they require. The alliance has been designed to share efficiencies and innovation across London through the development of collaborative working groups.

The four new frameworks will cover road maintenance and the design and construction of new schemes, and for the first time, can apply to all roads across London. It is expected that this will save up to £450m during the next eight years, whilst helping to drive through more than £2bn of investment in the London road network.

CVU was formed to utilise the specialist skills of each of the three companies to offer a complete and integrated service that delivers the requirements of the LoHAC. Colas is a multi-disciplinary infrastructure contractor offering strong expertise in the areas of product innovation through dedicated research and development facilities. VolkerHighways has a great deal of experience in undertaking highways term maintenance contracts (TMCs) within London and currently operates eight existing TMCs with London Boroughs. Finally, URS is a world leader in engineering, construction and technical services that has delivered a broad range of innovative, sustainable highways projects both in the UK and globally.  .

The LoHAC will be in place for an eight-year period with TfL and a number of London Boroughs have chosen to procure work through the contract from day one. It is expected that additional London Boroughs will also procure work through the LoHAC and take advantage of this cost-saving alliance over the next few years.

Phil Bridge, CVU contract manager, said: "This alliance offers an innovative approach to public sector procurement, giving TfL access to high-quality, consistent services that bring real value to the taxpayer. We believe we have the perfect partnership to provide TfL and those participating London Boroughs with a broad range of highway services to meet the specific needs of local communities."  

"We have already started mobilisation of our staff and resources to make a quick and effective start on this framework.  We already have a number of depots in place and our new works order management system will mean that we can start works as soon as our clients need us."

The LoHAC contracts will be effective from 1^st April 2013 for an eight-year period. CVU will work as a team from offices and depots in central London to ensure a truly integrated offering to the client.