Global infrastructure services firm AECOM has secured five contracts with Highways England to deliver highway design services across five separate schemes. The contracts, with fees totalling more than £25m to AECOM, are part of the Roads Investment Strategy announced in 2014 and will deliver maintenance, improvements and upgrades to motorways and major ‘A’ roads across the country. The contracts highlight the breadth of AECOM’s highways expertise and include a wide range of multidisciplinary services that will be delivered by a number of teams simultaneously.
A38 Derby Junction Improvements
The first contract is for the delivery of multidisciplinary services for the A38 Derby Junctions scheme. The project involves improvements to three existing junctions on the A38 in Derby at Kingsway, Markeaton and Little Eaton, which suffer from heavy congestion. All currently at-grade junctions, the options taken to public consultation include new underpasses at Kingsway and Markeaton and a flyover bridge at Little Eaton to allow traffic to flow through the area uninterrupted. As lead design consultant, AECOM will develop the scheme up to submission of a Development Consent Order application.
A47/A11 Thickthorn Junction Improvement and A47/A12 Junction Enhancements
AECOM has also extended its remit on two contracts to help improve traffic flow on the A47 as part of the A47 corridor improvement programme. The company has been involved with previous development stages of both schemes and the new contracts allow the project team to continue design work it started in 2016. Under the first contract, AECOM is delivering design services for the A47/A11 Thickthorn junction improvement, a congestion hotspot on the key route into Norwich. The second contract is for the delivery of design services for the enhancements of a number of junctions on the A47/A12 near Great Yarmouth, which regularly cause congestion. On both schemes, AECOM is refining earlier design work to finalise the optimum options which are being selected to take to public consultation, before considering all relevant factors and selecting the preferred routes. With significant growth predicted in the area, the proposed improvements will help support a number of major new developments planned along the A47.
Operations Directorate East Capital Delivery – Package 1 East
Under a further contract, AECOM has been appointed as the Lot 1 Consultant for Design Package 1 in Areas 6 and 8, which cover East Anglia and the East of England. Procured through Highways England’s collaborative delivery framework (CDF), the contract is part of a new programme based delivery model for all capital investment works in Areas 6 and 8. AECOM will deliver asset management design services to take projects in Design Package 1 through scheme development, detailed design and construction. Design Package 1 includes more than 50 asset maintenance projects on the M1, A1 and A5. Under the two-year contract, AECOM will work with CDF Lot 2 Contractors on an Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) basis to identify opportunities and efficiencies within the designs for each scheme that could be brought forward into the construction phase.
M62 Junctions 10 – 12 and M6 Junctions 21a – 26 Smart Motorways
These contracts follow AECOM’s recent appointment to develop the designs for the M62 junctions 10 – 12 and M6 junctions 21a – 26 smart motorway schemes. The company was appointed as part of Highways England’s latest tranche of smart motorway consultancy packages and with its sub-consultant Mouchel, will deliver operational assessments, engineering design and traffic technology services for both schemes.
Dave Beddell, Highways Director – Europe, AECOM, said: “These latest contract wins highlight the breadth and capacity of the multidisciplinary services AECOM is able to bring to vital highway maintenance and improvement programmes. With the majority of work delivered from offices local to the project locations, our teams will work collaboratively with Highways England and our supply chain partners to provide long-term benefits for road users across the country.”
AECOM will deliver a range of multidisciplinary services for the schemes, including highway, structural and geotechnical engineering, environmental and planning consultancy services including public consultation, traffic and economic forecasting and traffic technology services.