The Province of Alberta will be handing out road maintenance contracts differently in the future.

In the past it was mostly based on cost, but Transportation Minister Brian Mason says it's now going to be much more performance based.

They've also been shortened.

"Until now we've tendered our contracts for 10 years or longer, and under the new system they'll be awarded for a seven year period with an option for a three year extension. But that's based on the contractors performance."

Mason says the changes are aimed mainly at cities, but will spill over to rural contracts as well.

"It's important to note that rural municipalities in particular do much the same work on their roads as we do on ours. And there are economies to be found I think, by encouraging a cooperative approach between provincial contractors and the people who deliver the municipal road services."

In the past contracts were handed out based 95 per cent on cost, now it's a more even split of 60 per cent cost and 40 per cent ability to deliver on things like snow removal, pot hole repair, mowing and vegetation control.