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The current “outdated” contract process evaluated bids with a 95 per cent emphasis on costs and just five per cent on technical components, whereas the new model will have a 60-40 split, Mason said.

“We still want price to be a very, very important factor, obviously.”

Besides the increased attention on performance measures, the province is also updating the measures itself for snowplowing, salting and sanding, potholes, mowing and other factors.

As an example, Mason said measures will no longer mandate that a certain number of maintenance vehicles must be on the road following a snowfall, but will instead focus on how clear the roads are.

Rather than demanding lines be repainted at a specific time, the province will instead look at how visible they are.

The changes will provide more flexibility and encourage companies to be innovative in meeting standards, Mason said.

Maintenance contracts were previously awarded for 10 years or longer, but the new process calls for seven-year deals with an option for another three years depending on the contractor’s work, he said.

The province has been looking at a new evaluation model for a couple of years, but the recent collapse of one contractor — Carillion Canada — reinforced the need for more emphasis on performance, Mason said.

Carillion tended to submit low bids that secured them contracts, but Alberta Transportation then started to hear a lot of complaints from rural municipalities about the level of service in the company’s coverage area, Mason said.