Highway Maintenance Service Agreements

British Columbia’s highways are maintained by private contractors in 28 service areas throughout the province. This Web site is aimed at providing the public with easy access to information about these agreements.

The contracts are for ten-year terms. This enables contractors to plan over the longer term and provide a more favourable time frame for amortizing the cost of heavy equipment and facilities.

The contracts are ‘lump sum’ contracts – proponents bid a first year contract price. Contractors receive 1/12th of this price every month. The contract includes an annual price adjustment process to take into account changes in price indices for labour, fuel and non-residential construction; changes in inventory for which the contractor is responsible in a contract year; and changes in the level of service.

Contractors must maintain and implement a Quality Management System based on the principles of the International Organization for Standardization’s ISO 9000-2000 standard. While contractors do not have to be certified, they are required to have a system that meets both the letter and the spirit of the ISO standard.

The Ministry’s Quality Plan consists of monitoring and auditing the contractors to ensure compliance with the contract terms and conditions. The focus of the audits is on whether the contractor is meeting the Maintenance Specifications and maintaining a Quality Management System.