CNDR operation and maintenance contract

In summer 2009, Cumbria County Council entered into a 30-year partnership with Connect Roads to build the new 8.25km (5.13 mile) single-carriageway by-pass and, from October 1st 2009, take on the operation and maintenance of a further 148km (92 miles) of existing roads in North Cumbria, namely parts of the A7, A594, A595, A596, A689 and the A6071. 

From the general public's perspective, the handover was seamless and Cumbria County Council will remain the single point of contact for the public for these roads, with the Highways Hotline still covering the whole of the county council’s 4,784-mile road network. 

The winter gritting programme in Carlisle and Allerdale will also be the same from the public's perspective, with Connect Roads gritting its roads to the same standards that are required to meet the council's policy.

The combination of both building a new road and maintaining existing roads is the first PFI (Private Finance Initiative) project of its kind for a local authority in the UK. The contract has been made possible thanks to Department for Transport approval of £158m worth of PFI funding for the scheme. PFI (also known as PPP, or Public Private Partnership) works by the contractor financing the construction of the new road, and then recovering the capital cost over the 30-year life of the contract.

Follow this link to view a map showing which roads are set to be operated and maintained as part of the CNDR contract (227Kb PDF).