KWS, part of VolkerWessels, will carry out major maintenance on the Utrecht provincial roads. KWS received the final award from the province of Utrecht for the two-year maintenance contract with an option to extend it by two years. The client and contractor will work together in a construction team, among others on the maintenance of the N201 from August. The province of Utrecht awarded the maintenance project to the road builder partly because of the 'clean air plan' it submitted to make the maintenance more sustainable and reduce emissions.
KWS's clean air plan not only focuses on the use of cleaner equipment in maintenance work. In addition to the use of an electric truck and hybrid rollers, KWS reduces CO2, nitrogen and particulate emissions by, for example, charging all electrical equipment via battery boxes that supply energy from solar panels. In addition, KWS creates construction hubs within the province to limit transport movements.
According to KWS tender manager Niek Bijl, the challenge of the clean air plan was to look at the entire chain. "A clean air plan does not stop at the use of electrical equipment and sustainable fuel. Together with our subcontractors, we invest in solutions for the future, which we continue to develop every year. Together with the province of Utrecht, we are committed to ending emissions".
Together for more sustainable maintenance
In addition to the maximum appreciation for the clean air plan, the KWS construction team was the only tenderer to receive the highest possible score for the cooperation plan. The province of Utrecht described KWS's cooperation plan as excellent and the technical and financial features of the clean air plan as better than the traditional implementation and with a solid foundation. KWS and the province of Utrecht will work together intensively in a construction team collaboration to carry out the maintenance as well as possible. The construction team will also be the perfect opportunity to implement innovations and design subprojects in the best possible way.
Project goals
The province of Utrecht wants to use this project to grow together with the market in the preparation and execution of the provincial maintenance tasks. This will allow for more efficient planning (e.g. carrying out asphalting work in the appropriate seasons) and more effective cooperation. Maximum use is made of the learning capacity and environmental nuisance is prevented as much as possible. The province also offers scope in this cooperation for the application of sustainable solutions and incremental innovations.