QuikStats, Kier’s utility search service, has won a National Highways contract to provide underground utility mapping data.
The £9m underground mapping contract will run for three years, with the possibility of a further year’s extension. QuikStats will be National Highways' sole service provider for C2 utility stat searches.
C2 searches identify the underground locations of utilities and infrastructure to the PAS 128-D standard. They aim to protect workers and the public by understanding the risks associated with underground and overground utilities before breaking ground, and planning accordingly to reduce the risk of utility strikes.
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The process is often manual and time-consuming, involving approaching various utility providers for data. The new contract requires QuikStats to return the majority of information packs within 30 minutes of them being requested.
QuikStats said the service combines the latest available utility service data with user-generated input. It also has additional risk reduction and intelligence layers, such as preservation orders and sites of special scientific Interest, which go beyond the C2 standard.
Improving early value engineering
QuikStats' service has been used on approximately 5,800km of the National Highways network since 2022, across five regions.
The company says it has delivered more than 10,000 National Highways C2 packs in the past 12 months.
Nick Hearne, utilities delivery manager at National Highways, said: “This new national service will improve early value engineering for major schemes, saving time and reducing costs on projects.
"The simplicity of adoption and the flexibility of the service will provide us with a cost-effective solution, providing a consistent approach to identifying utilities assets in and around our motorways and major A-roads.
"First point of failure is in the planning and, as such, can help against strikes. We sought a solution to ensure data was comprehensive, detailed and timely while streamlining the process for all users of this service.”
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