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The Highways Agency has become the latest major client to adopt project bank accounts after deciding to use them on its 拢1.3bn pipeline of capital projects.

The public sector giant will apply the payment method 鈥渨here appropriate鈥� on 14 major projects over the next four years.

The decision follows a successful trial of the system on the development stage of the agency鈥檚 拢106m programme of works on the A11.

Project bank accounts allow clients to pay all contractors and subcontractors directly from a single pot, eliminating payment disruptions down the chain.

Tim Eaton, commercial director at the Highways Agency, said: 鈥淥ur trial proved successful and we have decided to use the method on future projects where it is appropriate.

鈥淚t stops some of the problems of lower tier suppliers struggling and waiting to get paid. We also get intelligence about the shape of our supply chain, what we are paying and who is doing what.鈥�

The agency鈥檚 move comes as the government presses all public bodies to adopt project bank accounts.

In November, the government made the use of project bank accounts a requirement of public construction projects.

Earlier this month Defence Estates confirmed that it will use the payment model on future developments. So far there are 12 organisations, including Crossrail, which have adopted the system.

Rudi Klein, chief executive of the Specialist Engineering Contrators鈥� Group, said: 鈥淧roject bank accounts are the best answer we have to date of dealing with all types of payment abuses. It gives clients no excuses for delaying payment.

鈥淲e are seeing now a real momentum towards the use of project bank accounts. It鈥檚 a massive leap forward and it will change the mind-set of the industry. It will mean they can cast aside the worries about payment and concentrate on the delivery of projects.鈥�

Project bank accounts could be used on the agency鈥檚 projects as early as the end of this year.