Road schemes on the starting grid

A swathe of major road schemes in England with planning permission are on the starting grid and ready to progress if funds allow from the Autumn Budget.

Glenigan’s construction industry research has identified 74 roads-related schemes valued at £50 million or more with planning permission and yet to start.

These schemes are all at various stages of the procurement cycle from pre-tender to a contractor in place. Many could be kick-started with a financial boost from the first Budget in 14 years from a Labour government.

Pre-tender stage

There are 54 schemes at the pre-tender stage. These range from the £74 million Didcot Science Bridge, which will take the A4130 over Great Western Main Line railway and connect to a new link road through the former Didcot A Power Station (Project ID: 22279008).

Consultant AECOM is providing advice to the client, Oxfordshire County Council, but procurement of a main contractor has yet to start.

A contractor has not been lined up yet either for a £49 million link road on the M49 at Severn Beach in Bristol but the proposals by Gloucestershire County Council and South Gloucestershire Council have planning permission (Project ID: 21475660).

Another major scheme that could benefit from the Budget is Derbyshire County Council’s £166 million Chesterfield Staveley Regeneration Route (Project ID: 05081012). Consultants AECOM and URS are working with the council on the proposals, which the government is considering funding.

Out to bid

The total of 74 approved English road schemes includes 20 proposals where procurement is underway.

Tenders were returned on August 14 for the fourth iteration of the Eastern Highways Alliance Framework, which is due to start before the end of this year (Project ID: 23264965). Once underway, the successful contractors will be eligible for structural, surfacing, and Capital Roads in the region for four years.

Central Bedfordshire Council is procuring the framework and Glenigan’s construction intelligence has identified four bidders so far.

Ready to go

Some schemes have contractors in place but are in limbo as the clients wait on the results of the government’s spending review.

Balfour Beatty is lined up to build the North Hykeham Relief Road in Lincolnshire for the county council (Project ID: 18312717). The scheme has planning permission, and the work could start next year if the review’s findings are favourable.

Balfour Beatty is also in place to build the £95.7 million Middlewich Eastern Bypass and Cheshire East Borough Council hopes work could start even earlier on its scheme after resubmitting a full business case to the Department for Transport (Project ID: 92433534). A decision from the DoT is expected in the coming months.

Outside England

Outside of England, there are also several approved road schemes getting ready to go.

While the Welsh Assembly has cancelled most major road schemes, an ongoing dualling of the A9 in Scotland continues apace. Tenders have been returned by three contractors for the £155 million next phase between Tay Crossing to Ballinluig (Project ID: 14156405).

In Northern Ireland, the Executive has stepped in to fund all of the £36 million A4 Enniskillen Southern Bypass after a tranche of funding was threatened by a review of the Mid South West Growth Deal by the UK Government. (Project ID: 18366228).

Budget outcome?

While the results of the Budget remain to be seen, there are plenty of schemes ready to move to site.