Balfour Beatty secures £63 million A19 highways improvement contract on behalf of Highways England

Balfour Beatty today announces that it has been awarded a £63 million contract on behalf of Highways England to develop, design and deliver critical dual carriageway upgrades on the A19 between Norton and Wynyard in the North of England.

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Forming a key part of the Government’s Road Investment Strategy, works will include the transformation of a five-kilometer stretch of the A19 - increasing capacity from two to three lanes. Balfour Beatty will also replace the carriageway with noise-reducing surfacing; diminishing noise pollution in the region whilst also supporting the company’s commitment of leaving a lasting, positive environmental legacy wherever it operates.

Further to supporting the environment, Balfour Beatty will focus on adding additional social value into the local area. Procurement of subcontractors and materials will be carried out locally in order to retain the economic spend of the project within the local community. Additionally, throughout the duration of the project, the team will work to identify the specific needs of the community and work with them deliver initiatives such as employment opportunities, school outreach and career advice.

Phil Clifton, Managing Director of Balfour Beatty’s Highways business, said: “This is vital project, critical to the Government’s initiative for growth in the North East of England.

“We will deliver this project with a focus on the road-user as well as delivering social value to those in the communities local to the project. We look forward to providing additional capacity, easing congestion and improving journey times for the travelling public and local community.”

Highways England project manager Keith Bradley said: “Drivers who use this busy route have had to put up with congestion, particularly during rush hour, while the road surface has caused a noise issue for people living nearby.

“Our improvements address the unreliable journey times and the noise, and allow us to support the Tees Valley economy, ahead of proposed employment and housing developments in the area.”

Works are due to commence in Spring 2020 and are scheduled for completion in Spring 2021. At construction peak, Balfour Beatty will employ a workforce of 150, 10% of which will from the local area as well as six apprentices and opportunities for ex-military and ex-offenders.