Weekly round-up - 5 June 2015

A14 awards big deals, Manchester Airport plans big investment, as does Manchester University, HS2 needs to step up its community engagement.

Jackie Whitelaw
05 June 2015

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1. Costain Skanska Joint venture has won the £600M job to construct two packages of the A14 upgrade in the east of England; package one, covering the section from the A1 at Alconbury to the East Coast Mainline; and package two, covering east of the East Coast Mainline to Swavesey. The third package, to widen the A14 from Swavesey to Milton, is being rebid as Highways England works to get the most from its collaborative delivery framework. The fourth package, for reconstruction of a viaduct over the East Coast Main Line, will be awarded in 2019. The detailed design contract has been awarded to Atkins CH2M joint venture at a total cost of £35.3M. The initial design award is for the development phase at a value of £19.6m.

2. University of Manchester has announced the appointment of Balfour Beatty, Laing O’Rourke and Sir Robert McAlpine to deliver the bulk of its £1bn capital programme through a partnership framework agreement. The University of Manchester’s Campus Masterplan is the largest capital programme in the institution’s history and one of the largest currently underway in the higher education sector. The contractors will work on a number of major developments, including the flagship £350m Manchester Engineering Campus Development (MECD), which will bring together the University’s four Schools of Engineering in one location and also provide teaching and office space.

3. The China Harbour Engineering Company has been awarded the largest deal to date on the £1bn Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon. It is preferred bidder for a £300M marine works package that will include the construction of the six mile lagoon wall in Swansea Bay. The project finds out if it has planning approval next week.

4. Completion of Kier’s takeover of Mouchel is scheduled for 8 June after the contractor successfully completed its £340m rights issue to help fund the £265M acquisition of the consultant. 

5. The owners of Manchester Airport plan to invest £1bn over 10 years to upgrade Britain's third largest airport and help it compete harder with Heathrow for passengers. "Over the next 10 years, the airport will continue to develop as a global gateway for the UK,"  said Manchester Airport Group Chief Executive Charlie Cornish said. The upgrade will involve expanding the main terminal building and improving another terminal. 

6. Waterman Group has been appointed to the Merseytravel Consultancy Services Framework. The four year framework will see Waterman provide multidisciplinary engineering consultancy services, covering expertise across rail, civil & structural, transport, highways infrastructure and business case development for bus stations, tunnels, ferry terminals, public attractions, engineering workshops, bus, rail, park and ride facilities. In addition, the framework can also be used by the constituent councils of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and the Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). 

7. Drivers in Kent should benefit from better journeys thanks to a new agreement between Kent County Council and Highways England. A new partnership agreement, signed last week will improve planning and communication between the two organisations. The agreement includes: protocols on agreeing and using diversion routes whenever a major road has to close; more flexible use of electronic road signs giving drivers a more complete view of road conditions ahead; setting out how the organisations will work together during major events in Kent; a joined up approach to helping drivers prepare for driving during winter.

    

8. The public can now make representations on the plans to introduce smart motorway technology to junctions 3 to 12 of the M4 following acceptance on in April of the application for a Development Consent Order by the Planning Inspectorate. Closing date is 3 July. More here National Infrastructure Planning website.

9. HS2 needs to step up its broader community engagement according to the first report from the HS2 Residents' Commissioner. See the report here.

10. Mott MacDonald is deisgning a £15M flood protction scheme in Stonehaven on behalf of Aberdeenshire Council. The project will provide the town with one in 200 year flood protection from the river Carron.