Smart motorway project for UK’s M3

Balfour Beatty is to work on a €163.5 million (£129 million) upgrade project for a 21.4km stretch of the M3 motorway in the UK. The work involves upgrading the route to smart motorway status and is being carried out for the UK Government’s Highways Agency. This project will increase capacity, reduce congestion and shorten journey times for the 120,000 motorists/day using the route. This section of the motorway runs through the counties of Hampshire and Surrey, between Junction 2 which is interchange with th
July 23, 2014 Read time: 2 mins

1146 Balfour Beatty is to work on a €163.5 million (£129 million) upgrade project for a 21.4km stretch of the M3 motorway in the UK. The work involves upgrading the route to smart motorway status and is being carried out for the UK Government’s 2309 Highways Agency. This project will increase capacity, reduce congestion and shorten journey times for the 120,000 motorists/day using the route. This section of the motorway runs through the counties of Hampshire and Surrey, between Junction 2 which is interchange with the M25 orbital motorway around London and Junction 4a (Fleet). The route will be upgraded to a four-lane motorway by converting the hard shoulder to a permanent running lane. Electronic signs, operated by a regional control centre, will be installed to manage the flow of traffic in response to driving conditions.

Mobilisation work is due to start at the beginning of August. Main construction work is due to start in the third quarter of 2014 with completion scheduled for spring 2017. Construction activity will include installing and refurbishing gantries, new static and variable signs, concrete safety barriers, drainage and surfacing works.

The contract is the latest in a series awarded to Balfour Beatty since the company was appointed to the Highways Agency's National Major Projects Framework in 2010.  In June 2014, Balfour Beatty was awarded the M60 J8 to M62 J20 smart motorway scheme.  In April 2014 the company’s construction joint venture with Skanska completed upgrading a stretch of the M25 to a smart motorway, and in January 2014 Balfour Beatty completed upgrading parts of the M4 and M5 to a smart motorway.

The M3 passes through Chobham Common, one of the largest areas of heathland in Surrey, and   Balfour Beatty’s sustainable design will take into account ecological considerations with natural habitats being reinstated.

M4M5 smart motorway scheme in operation:

Balfour Beatty will use similar technology upgrading the M3 to smart motorway status as it has installed on its successful M4/M5 project

Highway & Network Management

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Balfour Beatty awarded €54.01 million A1 improvement scheme
    June 5, 2014
    Balfour Beatty has been awarded a €54.01 million (£43.9 million) contract to design and build the Highways Agency A1 Coal House to Metro Centre improvement scheme in Gateshead, north-east England. The project will include the introduction of new parallel link roads between the Lobley Hill and Gateshead Quay (A184) junctions and an increase in lane capacity on the A1 main line from two to three lanes in each direction from the Metro Centre to Coal House junction, a distance of 6.44kms.
    Read More
  • New safer road workzone practices
    September 15, 2014
    In the UK, the construction business Connect Plus Services is implementing new practices that reduce the need for crossings of live carriageways. These practices are expected to save the lives of road construction workers. Connect Plus Services is the company that has the contract to maintain, operate and upgrade the M25 motorway around London over a 30-year period. The contract is carried out on behalf of the Highways Agency. The firm has developed a new method of managing traffic approaching road construc
    Read More
  • UK’s A14 route to open early
    February 11, 2020
    Highways England has announced that the UK’s A14 route is to open early.
    Read More
  • UK’s A14 upgraded route opening early
    October 14, 2019
    A key section of the UK’s important A14 upgrade project is opening to traffic ahead of schedule. Work to deliver the new stretch of dual carriageway for the A14 bypass is being completed a full 12 months early. The bypass section will open to drivers in December 2019, cutting congestion and journey times. Work on the 19km bypass section commenced in October 2016 and forms part of a programme of 33.6km of road works in Cambridgeshire, costing £1.5 billion. The road building project has been carried out by
    Read More

Highlighted Content