Skip to main content

Balfour included on major UK Highways Agency framework contract

Balfour wins place on major UK Highways Agency road framework contract Balfour Beatty’s UK construction business has been appointed by the UK’s Highways Agency to a new collaborative framework contract for projects totalling more than US$3.95 billion (£2.5 billion). Under the framework arrangement, Balfour is one of five contractors that the agency can call upon to deliver individual projects worth between $160 million and $713 million (£100 million and £450 million) on Lot 3B of the Collaborative Del
November 7, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
Balfour wins place on major 1441 UK Highways Agency road framework contract

1146 Balfour Beatty’s UK construction business has been appointed by the UK’s Highways Agency to a new collaborative framework contract for projects totalling more than US$3.95 billion (£2.5 billion).

Under the framework arrangement, Balfour is one of five contractors that the agency can call upon to deliver individual projects worth between $160 million and $713 million (£100 million and £450 million) on Lot 3B of the Collaborative Delivery Framework.

The overall framework, which includes lots for other types of work, will deliver the largest ever upgrade of England’s strategic road network, valued between $6.3 billion and $9.5 billion (£4 billion and £6 billion) by 2021.

The framework lasts for four years with an option for a mutually agreed one-year extension. Individual contracts within the framework will be allocated either through the agreement of target costs or by mini-competitions where several tenders are submitted.

Nicholas Pollard, Balfour Beatty construction services UK chief executive, said the company has a strong record delivering major contracts by working closely with the Highways Agency. Balfour Beatty, in partnership with 2296 Skanska, 3005 Atkins and 2643 Egis, delivered a 30-year $9.8 billion (£6.2 billion) M25 design build finance and operate project which included widening more than 100km of motorway to four lanes.

Balfour Beatty is also currently delivering the agency’s $291 million (£184 million) Manchester Smart Motorway scheme and the $204.4 million (£129 million) M3 Smart Motorway scheme.

The framework is intended to promote collaborative behaviour, such as standardisation and pre-fabrication, in order to lower costs, deliver better quality faster and to improve health and safety behaviour.

Graham Dalton, Highways Agency chief executive, said the framework is the largest that the agency has awarded. “It is not just the scale of this framework that is important, but the way it is designed to bring the agency, designers and contractors together in one large collaborative team. We expect to deliver this major investment programme efficiently, speedily and with real effort to minimise disruption to road users while we build,” he said.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • The radically changing face of UK highways management
    May 14, 2014
    The British Government policy paper ‘Action for Roads: A network for the 21st century’ sets out radical change to the strategic way roads are funded and managed – including plans to turn the Highways Agency into a Government-owned company and a pledge to invest over €33.4 billion (£28 billion) in roads maintenance between 2015 and 2020. Jenny Moten, Highways Agency divisional director for Network Services, gave a keynote presentation on the new approach to strategic highways management during the Road Safet
  • Tackling winter maintenance
    February 9, 2012
    Winter weather often brings traffic chaos, and authorities have to be ready to tackle it as Patrick Smith reports Good winter maintenance is rarely noticed, and it is only when things go wrong that it becomes a public issue. "When sudden bouts of cold weather bring traffic chaos, icy roads receive high-profile coverage and local authorities are criticised, often unfairly, for not affording greater protection," says the Highways Term Maintenance Association (HTMA), the UK's top trade body for road mainten
  • Tackling winter maintenance
    May 8, 2012
    Winter weather often brings traffic chaos, and authorities have to be ready to tackle it as Patrick Smith reports. Good winter maintenance is rarely noticed, and it is only when things go wrong that it becomes a public issue. "When sudden bouts of cold weather bring traffic chaos, icy roads receive high-profile coverage and local authorities are criticised, often unfairly, for not affording greater protection," says the Highways Term Maintenance Association (HTMA), the UK's top trade body for road mainten
  • The side effect – paving with a road widener
    December 13, 2018
    Sidewinder UK has been using its novel road widener machines on a series of paving jobs, including smart motorway projects. Sidewinder UK has carried out work on the M6 smart motorway contract between junction 16 and junction 19. The company used one of its road wideners to place and grade the final layer of sub-base to the balanced central reservation in readiness for Tarmac Contracting to pave the base and binder courses. An estimated 5,000tonnes of sub-base was used in the initial 6.4km x 4.7m wide st