Skip to main content

Mott MacDonald Sweco JV to design part of A96 dualling, Scotland

A Mott MacDonald and Sweco joint venture has been appointed by Transport Scotland to carry out route option assessment and detailed design work for dualling of the A96 highway between Hardmuir and Fochabers. The nearly 47km stretch of the road will provide users with improved journey times between two of Scotland’s economic hubs, the cities of Inverness and Aberdeen. In 2011, the Scottish Government published its Infrastructure Investment Plan which set out the Government’s plans for infrastructure i
June 16, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
A 2579 Mott MacDonald and 3392 Sweco joint venture has been appointed by 4068 Transport Scotland to carry out route option assessment and detailed design work for dualling of the A96 highway between Hardmuir and Fochabers.

The nearly 47km stretch of the road will provide users with improved journey times between two of Scotland’s economic hubs, the cities of  Inverness and Aberdeen.

In 2011, the Scottish Government published its Infrastructure Investment Plan which set out the Government’s plans for infrastructure investment over the coming decades.

The plan noted that dualling 86 miles of the A96 between Inverness and Aberdeen, by 2030, was a key investment. The Hardmuir to Fochabers section of the road consists mainly of single-lane carriageway through or close to various towns and villages that suffered regular traffic bottlenecks.

The joint venture will begin design and assessment work that could take up to two years to complete. There will be a number of grade separated junctions where bypasses are created for a number of communities, such as Forres and Elgin. There will also be crossings of the River Findhorn, the River Lossie and the River Spey, as well as the Aberdeen to Inverness rail line.

Iain Scott, contract director for the Mott MacDonald and Sweco joint venture, said that the contract “builds on our long established collaborative relationship with Transport Scotland”.

Mott MacDonald is a €1.76 billion global management, engineering and development firm. Sweco, a Sweden-based engineering and architecture consultancy, has sales of €1.7 billion.

The joint venture was established in 2010 bringing together the broad experience of Mott MacDonald and Sweco, formerly Grontmij. The joint venture has been involved in improvement works around junction 10 of the M20 motorway in county Kent in England. It also worked on the introduction of the smart motorway on the M5 in the English Midlands.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • UK’s M6 tolled motorway for sale
    June 21, 2016
    For sale: one UK toll motorway along with operating business. Well maintained. Price negotiable. David Arminas looks at what is on offer As if right on cue, a French articulated truck starts to back up along the hard shoulder at an exit area of M6toll. The manoeuvring is watched from an office inside the nearby M6toll headquarters. Inside, Andy Pearson, chief executive of M6toll, glances over his shoulder and interrupts his presentation to World Highways. “He’s probably missed the dedicated wide-load
  • Kier’s strong financial performance
    September 20, 2018
    Kier Group has announced a strong financial performance for its full-year results to 30th June 2018. The results were bolstered in particular by a solid performance in its highways business. The company claims that this has reinforced the firm’s position as the UK’s leading provider of highways management and maintenance services. Over the 12 months, Kier has maintained its position as the lead supplier to Highways England. Securing two three-year extensions to 2021 and 2022 respectively worth over £250 m
  • Major capacity upgrade for key junction on UK’s M25 route
    December 18, 2014
    Balfour Beatty and Skanska will carry out a major motorway junction upgrade project worth €69.7 million (£55 million) in the UK. The two companies will operate on the project in a 50:50 joint venture to upgrade junction 30 of the M25 gyratory motorway around capital London. The deal was awarded by the UK’s Highways Agency. This joint venture, Balfour Beatty Skanska, is a construction partner to Connect Plus, the company responsible for managing and upgrading the M25 network. Balfour Beatty Skanska has alrea
  • DfT awards consultant role to partnership
    August 31, 2023
    The UK’s DfT has awarded a consultant role to a key partnership.