MGWSP, a partnership between May Gurney and WSP, has been selected as preferred bidder for Suffolk County Council's Highways Services Contract valued at up to £200m over five years, with the possibility of an extension to 10 years.

The award is subject to approval by the County Council's Cabinet on 26 February 2013.

The contract, which is scheduled to start on 1 October 2013, covers the design and delivery of maintenance and improvement works across Suffolk's 6,500km highways network. This includes surfacing, winter gritting, emergency response to incidents on the network, street lighting and traffic signals maintenance, materials testing, road condition surveys, laboratory services, the maintenance of the Council's vehicle fleet, and bridge works.

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May Gurney has delivered essential services to local communities across East Anglia since 1926 and, as the third largest company in the region, is uniquely placed to deliver a high quality service to local communities in Suffolk. In addition to achieving cost savings during the first year of operation, May Gurney will further grow its contribution to the local economy through the use of local suppliers and a commitment to job creation and improving skill levels.

Margaret Ford, chairman of May Gurney, said: "We are delighted that May Gurney/MGWSP has been chosen as preferred bidder by Suffolk County Council for the highways services contract, which consolidates our position as a leading provider of essential front-line services to more than 80 local authorities across the UK.

"May Gurney already has a significant presence in East Anglia - the company was founded in Norfolk in 1926. This unique heritage and extensive operational footprint, combined with MGWSP's proven track record of delivering fresh ideas and better ways of working for our other clients, means that we are ideally placed to deliver on Suffolk's twin goals of cost reduction and quality service delivery.

"At the same time, we're very much looking forward to working with the council to increase our contribution to the local economy through creating new apprenticeships, extending our use of local suppliers and developing a solid skills-base to ensure a successful future for the region."

(CD/GK)