As Milestone Infrastructure’s Managing Director, I’m proud to say that we are the UK’s No.1 Highways Maintenance provider by road km’s, something we have achieved through several contracts wins and extensions over the past two years.
With this success, we are in a strong position to continue supporting our clients and I find myself excited by the opportunities ahead. Our industry is pivotal in ensuring safe and efficient travel for people and this has been the core goal of Milestone as reflected in our five-year business plan, Safer, Greener Highways.
Supporting our clients with a road network spanning 51,000km, we are working to navigate the dynamic landscape of highways maintenance, while ensuring we are taking innovative strides, working collaboratively with our clients and supply chain, and on track to reach sustainability targets.
Environmental sustainability is a key consideration in today’s highways maintenance, civils projects and streetlighting strategies. At Milestone, we’re committed to reaching our target of net zero throughout our operations, including our supply chain, by 2040.
In our quest to achieve net zero, we have turned to innovative solutions to drive sustainable practices, including the trial of Gipave, a high-performance, longer-lasting road surfacing material. Our award-winning agreement with OCL Regeneration works to supply our clients with localised highways recycling opportunities while delivering a circular economy solution nationwide. With OCL, we have jointly recycled over 30,000 tonnes of highways waste into low carbon materials reused back into the network, saving more than 600 tonnes of carbon over the past two years.
The journey towards innovation is exhilarating, from the trial of bio-polymer bollards on our Hampshire Highways contract to our ambitious plan with Devon County Council to make the A382 a carbon negative project, after receiving £3.7million funding from ADEPT’s Live Labs 2 programme.
Our industry is built on collaboration. We’re partnering with local authorities, transportation agencies, technology providers and research institutions to exchange knowledge, pool resources and develop innovative solutions to drive exceptional delivery across our contracts.
Recent collaborations have seen us work with our client, Oxfordshire County Council on an innovative pothole trial, testing existing and new methods of pothole repair, which included showcasing our ‘Dragon Patcher’.
We understand the importance social value initiatives, leaving a lasting legacy in the communities we serve. We are proud of our relationship with Nuneaton Signs, a social enterprise that supports the employment of jobseekers with disabilities. We have also volunteered for local community projects, including the recent renovation of an area at a children’s hospice, as well as attending STEM events across all of our contract areas, giving us the opportunity to engage with the future talent of the highways industry.
As the industry evolves, we need a skilled workforce to provide high-quality maintenance. Finding, training, and retaining the right talent is a challenge we work to overcome with our graduate schemes and apprenticeship programme, which currently 8% of our workforce is part of. These opportunities attract and develop the next generation of highly skilled, forward-thinking, and technically competent people, who become part of the inspired teams working across our projects.
Maintaining the integrity of our road networks is not just about keeping the asphalt smooth, it’s about fostering the lifeline of our economy, ensuring connectivity, and enhancing safety. The UK highways maintenance sector is evolving rapidly and at Milestone we are embracing innovation to improve efficiency and reduce disruptions.
The trial and successive use of the 50T Kobelco, a large sized excavator, on our A1260 carriageway widening project showcases our commitment to reducing disruptions. The use of the 50T Kobelco on this project marked the first use of this innovative piece of equipment by Milestone, enabling piling works to be carried out despite working space being restricted, while being highly efficient, reliable, and quiet to operate.
We continue to look ahead at the innovations which have the potential to reshape our industry. We are currently exploring Artificial intelligence (AI) and the ways we can use this within our business. Keeping not only our people, but other road users safe is integral. AI-powered algorithms will help to enhance safety, analysing data to predict maintenance needs and optimise traffic flow.
As we look to the future of UK highways, I am committed to steering our industry towards a bright and sustainable future. To succeed, we must share best practices and collaborate on solutions to overcome challenges, seize opportunities, and create a highway network that serves not only us today but generations to come.
Every road we maintain is a thread in the fabric of our nation, connecting communities, enabling commerce, and fostering progress. Together, let's continue paving the way for Safer, Greener Highways.
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