The Balfour Beatty Skanska Joint Venture announces today the award of the £241 million, M1 junctions 6a – 10 Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) contract by the Highways Agency. The project is to increase the M1 motorway to four lanes in each direction from the M25 through to Luton.
This high-profile ECI contract will see the Balfour Beatty Skanska Joint Venture become part of the team carrying out preparation and design works for the scheme, prior to the start of construction at the end of 2005.
Bill Hocking, Managing Director of Skanska’s Civil Engineering operating unit said, ”We are delighted to have secured this contract in partnership with Balfour Beatty. Skanska has invested a great deal of management time into understanding the service the Highways Agency requires from its contractors under the CAT/ECI procurement process. I am very pleased that the ongoing development of our business and our people has resulted in the award of this important scheme.”
Stephen Tarr, Managing Director of Balfour Beatty's Major Highways Division, commenting today said, "We are delighted to be involved in this major widening and improvement contract. It provides further opportunity for Balfour Beatty to demonstrate its pedigree in motorway widening and we look forward to working with both the Highways Agency's team and our partner Skanska to deliver what is a much-needed and high-profile scheme.”
The widening works will be carried out on north and southbound carriageways of the M1 between Junctions 6a and 10 to bring it up to a full standard, four-lane motorway with continuous hard shoulders. Work also includes construction of new interchanges at Junctions 8 and 9 to serve local traffic travelling between Hemel Hempstead and St Albans. In addition, collector and distributor roads to improve the free flowing characteristics will be constructed at Junction 8.
The scheme will also involve the widening or replacement of 11 underbridges and replacement of seven overbridges along the route, together with utility diversions at Junction 10.
Completion of the scheme is expected at the end of 2008, reducing congestion and improving safety and journey time reliability on one of the UK’s busiest motorways, which is a strategic link between London, the Midlands and the North and carries an average of 160,000 vehicles per day.
The Balfour Beatty Skanska Joint Venture’s consultant is Atkins.