A £245 million maintenance contract for Gloucestershire has been awarded after a clean sweep of its highways contractors by the county council.

A new firm will now have responsibility for the county's pothole repairs, winter gritting and snow clearing, gully cleaning, verge and grass cutting and surface dressing.

That firm, Ringway Infrastructure Services, part of West-Sussex-based Eurovia Vinci, is expected to take over from Oxford-headquartered Amey from April next year.

Initially for seven years, with an option to extend year-on-year for up to a further four years, the contract could run for 11 years in total up to 2030.

That means £74,242 will be invested in each of the county's 3,300 miles during that initial period.

Mike Notman, managing director for Ringway, said: "We are also 100 per cent committed to supporting the county's wider targets for social, economic and environmental sustainability and are delighted to partner with the council to deliver these over the term of the contract."

In September last year, the county council's cabinet agreed that once its five year contract with Oxford-based Amey has finished, it will no longer use just one organisation to deliver highways maintenance, support and structural design.

According to the council it has instead agreed on what it is calling a "three pronged approach" to deliver the main aspects of the county's road upkeep.

The first contract with Tarmac, lasting for two years, started in April this year and includes large resurfacing schemes - £10 million of works in its first year and £20 million in its second year.

Five submissions were received for what it calls the TMC (Term Maintenance Contract) with Ringway beating Alun Griffiths and Skanska to take the honours in what was described as a "rigorous evaluation process".

Ringway apparently impressed with their evidence of "consistent, reliable and quality service delivery at other authorities".

Ringway already successfully delivers similar services for neighbouring authorities Worcestershire, where it has worked for more than 13 years, as well as Wiltshire and Highways England in the south west.

According to the firm's last accounts turnover increased by £9.4m to £250,995,589 from £241,564,267. Profit before tax amounted to £5.7m. Up from £5.4m in 2016.

Later this year, the council will hold a tender exercise that will look at proposals for how its specialist projects, like the recently successful Elmbridge Court Roundabout can be managed.

Eurovia (VINCI) desccribes itself as a world leader in transport infrastructure construction and urban development.