£183 million Smart Motorway contract awarded

£183 million Smart Motorway contract awarded

Balfour Beatty is expected to be announced soon as winner of the Highways Agency’s £183 million ‘Smart Motorway’ contract for improvements between junctions 2 and 4a of the M3.

 

The scheme aims to relieve congestion between the M3 junction with the M25 and the A327 in Surrey by adding capacity along the 13.4 mile stretch. The existing hard shoulders will be used to widen the motorway. Preparatory works have already started, including ground investigations along the hard shoulder, and Balfour Beatty is expected to start on site in March with completion in April 2015.

 

Completion was originally to be 2016 but Smart Motorway procurement promotes fast track working which includes round the clock work on site and work proceeding from multiple work areas concurrently. Planning, design and construction preparations are also run concurrently where possible.

 

Fast tracking is also having the effect of allowing projects to be brought forward in the Highways Agency’s programme; as a result about £75 million worth of road spending will be brought forward to the current spending period.

 

Pranav Devale, Highways Agency Project Manager, said: “We are planning to increase capacity on this busy stretch to reduce congestion. Improved journeys will bring real benefits to everyone who uses the M3 in Surrey, as well as to the economy as a whole.

 

“We are carrying out investigations on the hard shoulder to assist with the design process. We have planned this phase to be carried out overnight, when we know traffic flows are lowest, to minimise the disruption to road users.”

 

Photo: M3 by Euchiasmus@geograph.co.uk

Please rate

Comments 

Name
Email
  Ctrl + Enter

Most Read

Suffolk names contractors for £500m construction framework

Suffolk names contractors for £500m construction framework

The new iteration of the framework is valued at £500m and has three separate construction lots and two building services lots.   The aim of the framework is to ensure Suffolk County Council and other public sector organisations in the East of England have a legitimate shortcut for

Yorkshire Water alerts firms to £3bn AMP8 contracts

Yorkshire Water alerts firms to £3bn AMP8 contracts

The organisation is looking to procure an alliance to deliver its stormwater programme, which is expected to be £1.3bn of investment over the next 10 years to reduce sewage overflows into watercourses.   Alongside this, Yorkshire Water is looking to procure two non-infrastructure

MoD names seven for £5bn construction alliance

MoD names seven for £5bn construction alliance

A strategic alliance contract has been signed by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and seven contractors for the design & build elements of a delivery, commercial & procurement strategy process within the Defence Estate Optimisation (DEO) portfolio.   Contractors were

This website uses cookies to enhance your user experience. By continuing to use this site, you consent to our use of these cookies. See our Cookie Policy.