Highways England has appointed six joint-venture companies to design and build 10 'smart motorways' across England as part of a £1.5 billion investment.

Three of these projects will start in autumn this year: two in the Midlands - M1 J19 to J16 in Northamptonshire and the M5 J4a to J6 in Worcestershire, and one in the North West - M6 J16 to J19 near Stoke-on-Trent.

The smart motorway schemes, part of the £15bn Government investment Highways England is delivering between now and 2021, will see 292 extra lane miles added to motorways.

The hard shoulder will be converted to a traffic lane and signing and technology will tell drivers what speed to drive at, if lanes are blocked or closed and about incidents up ahead.

Construction contractors appointed are Balfour Beatty and Vinci joint venture, Costain and Galliford Try joint venture, and Carillion and Kier joint venture. Designers are CHM2 and Hyder joint venture, Amey and Arup joint venture, and Jacobs and Atkins joint venture.

Valued at up to £1.55bn in total, this is the second major procurement to be awarded under the company’s collaborative delivery framework (CDF). The first was the appointment of designers and contractors for the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement which was announced in June.

Andy Watson,Highways England smart motorway programme director, said: “We have awarded these contracts to the companies who demonstrated to us they will work together, across all the projects, not just the ones they have been awarded.

"They proved they are driven to get the best results on price, quality and on reducing impact on road users: keeping the motorways flowing while they construct these vital improvements.”

The Balfour Beatty and Vinci joint venture has won a construction package including delivery of the M5 J4a to J6 smart motorway in Worcestershire, starting this autumn at a value of £45.4 million.

It has also been appointed to construct two future schemes: the M6 J2 to J4 in the Midlands, expected to start work in 2017/18, and the M4 J3 to 12 in London and Berkshire due to start work in 2016/17, at an estimated combined value of up to £562 million. CHM2 and Hyder joint venture have been appointed as the designers for these two future schemes, valued between £25 to £30 million.

The Costain and Galliford Try joint venture has won a construction package including delivery of the M1 J19 to J16 smart motorway in Northamptonshire, starting this autumn at a value of £65.39 million.

It has also been appointed to construct two future schemes: the M1 J24 to J25 in the East Midlands, and the M1 J13 to 16 in Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire, both expected to start work in 2016/17, at an estimated combined value of up to £302.3 million. Amey and Arup joint venture have been appointed as the designers for these two future schemes, valued between £20 to £25 million.

The Carillion and Kier joint venture has won a construction package including delivery of the M6 J16 to J19 smart motorway in Staffordshire and Cheshire, starting this autumn at a value of £129.5 million.

It has also been appointed to construct three future schemes: the M6 J13 to J15 in Staffordshire, the M20 J3 to J5 in Kent, and the M23 J8 to J10 in Surrey and West Sussex, all expected to start work 2017/18, at an estimated combined value of up to £345 million. Jacobs and Atkins joint venture have appointed as the designers of these three future schemes, valued between £20 to £25 million.

The value of construction and design contracts for those projects starting after 2015/16 are indicative as the schemes are in early development phase.

Highways England will work with the contractors to agree final target costs.

Work starting on major projects is subject to continued value for money and successful completion of any statutory processes.

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