Turner & Townsend wins work on key Highways England programmes

Turner & Townsend has been appointed to provide commercial services for two major Highways England programmes, including its flagship A303 Stonehenge scheme. 

The project will upgrade the A303, and includes plans to build a road tunnel near Stonehenge. It is part of a series of planned upgrades to A303/A358 corridor to improve connectivity between the south east and south west of England.

The three-year contract will see Turner & Townsend provide commercial services including estimating, benchmarking performance, commercial reporting and cost management taking the scheme into construction. The project is currently undergoing consultation on Highways England’s preferred route.

The consultant has also been appointed to deliver the next phase of two Highways England smart motorway upgrades, providing commercial and programme management for improvements to the M6 between junctions 21a and 26 and M62 between junctions 10 and 12.  

Smart motorways increase capacity, reducing congestion and improving the reliability of journey times by making the hard shoulder available as a traffic lane and by using variable speed limits to smooth traffic flow, supporting economic growth.

Delivery of the programme, will include an extensive upgrade of the existing drainage system, new emergency areas between junctions, a new ducting system for power and fibre cables, and work to overhead signs to provide electronic signs for CCTV and driver information systems.

Gary Healey, director at Turner & Townsend, said: “The A303 upgrade is one of the most significant schemes set to be delivered under the government’s Road Investment Strategy - creating a better experience for road users,  improving economic connectivity across the south, and reducing the visual impact of this key arterial route on Stonehenge itself. 

“Our previous experience working on major programmes, including smart motorways, sets us in good stead to support Highways England in delivering these schemes in a way that optimises commercial performance and drives productivity on site.”

Dave Hull, CIP commercial and procurement programme director at Highways England, added: “Our roads connect the country and we are delivering a record level of investment to improve journeys for the four million drivers that use the strategic road network each day. Delivering signature schemes like the A303 involves a strong commercial focus working in an integrated project team to ensure we deliver best value and support economic growth.”