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13 Jan 2009 11:02
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For Immediate Release 13Β January 2009
SCOTT WILSONΒ CONTINUE WITHΒ BALFOUR BEATTYΒ FORΒ NEXT STAGE OFΒ A46Β
Scott Wilson Group plc ("Scott Wilson" or "the Group"), the multi-disciplinary international design and engineering consultancy for the built and natural environments, is pleased toΒ confirmΒ that, followingΒ the recentΒ announcement by the Secretary of State for Transport, Geoff Hoon, it willΒ provideΒ the detailed design and site supervisionΒ services forΒ Balfour BeattyΒ for theΒ A46 Newark toΒ WidmerpoolΒ Improvement. As stated by Geoff HoonΒ inΒ hisΒ announcement onΒ 19 December,Β "I amΒ pleased to be able to confirm today that dualling of the 28km sectionΒ the A46 has been given the go-ahead following acceptance of the inspector's recommendations from the public inquiry".
The value ofΒ thisΒ stage of theΒ contract to Scott Wilson is expected to be up toΒ Β£9Β millionΒ overΒ the nextΒ 3 years. Scott Wilson has been working with Balfour Beatty and the Highways Agency on theΒ initial phase of theΒ Scheme since 2004.
The Scheme wouldΒ provide 28km of dual carriageway with 8 grade separated junctions and 22 bridges. It wouldΒ complete the link between the M1 atΒ LeicesterΒ and theΒ Newark Relief Road.Β Β Scott Wilson would provide all aspects of the design including highway, structures and geotechnical design and extensive environmental mitigation measures, including archaeology.
Hugh Blackwood, Group Chief Executive, comments "We are very happy to haveΒ movedΒ to the next stage ofΒ this contract which, once again,Β reflects our reputation for delivering high profile roadΒ projects. The A46 highlights the government'sΒ recently announced commitment to major expenditure in infrastructure projects.Β We look forward toΒ continuing to workΒ closely with Balfour BeattyΒ and the Highways Agency."
~Ends~
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Scott Wilson Group plc Hugh Blackwood, Group Chief Executive Sean Cummins, Group Finance Director Lak Siriwardene, Head of Communications |
Β 020 7798 5187 020 7798 5245 07824 311762 |
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Financial Dynamics Charlie Armitstead/ Charlotte Whitley |
020 7269 7291 |
Scott Wilson Group plc
Scott Wilson Group plc, with over 6,000 members of staff, is a multi-disciplinary international design and engineering consultancy for the built and natural environments. The Group has doubled in size over the past few years and from itsΒ UKΒ headquarters currently controls a worldwide network of 80 offices.
www.scottwilson.com
Notes to Editors
Scott Wilson has provided multidisciplinary services in the development of the Scheme since 2004. Draft Orders and the Environmental Statement were published in early 2007 with the Public Inquiry held in the summer of 2007. Scott Wilson staff providedΒ theΒ 10Β consultancyΒ expert witnesses at the Inquiry. The Secretaries of States'Β decisionΒ letter accepting the recommendations in the inspector's reportΒ wasΒ in due course.
Scott Wilson willΒ assist the Highways Agency in completing the statutory processes and commence the detailed designΒ followed byΒ constructionΒ supervision. Scott Wilson will provide transportation, highway, environmental,Β archaeology,Β geotechnical and structural design and site supervision services. Archaeology is a particularly important consideration as the route passes close to a number of important sites and follows the line of the roman road, The Fosse Way.
TheΒ relevantΒ detailsΒ of DfT's Press ReleaseΒ of 19 December 2008Β is below.
β¦it was today confirmed work to dual the A46 fromΒ NewarkΒ to Widmerpool is planned to begin next summer. Last month the Transport Secretary announced an extra Β£174 million was being made available by the Department for this scheme as part of the Government's commitment to bringing forward infrastructure investment wherever possible. The next important milestone has now been passed with the scheme orders approved following a public inquiry. This will allow the improved link between the M1 at Leicester and A1 atΒ NewarkΒ to open to traffic in late 2011 - five years earlier than as previously planned.
Geoff Hoon said:
Β "I am β¦Β pleased to be able to confirm today that dualling of the 28km section of the A46 has been given the go-ahead following acceptance of the inspector's recommendations from a public inquiry. Dualling the last remaining single carriageway section between M1 J21a north ofΒ LeicesterΒ andΒ Newark Western Relief RoadΒ will relieve congestion on this busy route and improve safety. It will also help boost the local economy.
"The Government is committed to bringing forward infrastructure investment wherever possible. It is great news for the region that dualling the missing section of the A46 fromΒ NewarkΒ to Widmerpool has been given the go-ahead. Together with the extra funding I announced last month, this means work could start next summer - two years early - on providing a new fast link between the A1 and M1. This would open to traffic in late 2011 - rather than 2016 as previously planned."
1. The A46 is a regional project that has been identified for accelerated delivery under the Government's fiscal stimulus package. It is an important regional route in theΒ East MidlandsΒ linking Leicester and Lincoln.
2. The 28km section of the A46 betweenΒ NewarkΒ and Widmerpool is the last remaining single carriageway section of the A46 between the M1 J21a north ofΒ LeicesterΒ andΒ Newark Western Relief Road. Congestion and unreliable journey times are key problems, and accident rates on the southern section are higher than the national average for a single carriageway road. The scheme, which was added to the Targeted Programme of Improvements in 2001, will upgrade the route to dual carriageway standard, provide for eight full grade-separated junctions and an improved roundabout at Farndon. Bypasses will be provided for East Stoke and Farndon.Β
3.Β Following the introduction of Regional Funding Allocations in 2005/06 the region prioritised the scheme for funding and scheduled the start of works date to 2012/13. The scheme was subsequently taken to Public Inquiry in 2007.Β
4. A local public inquiry was held on eighteen sitting days between 3 to 25 July and 5 to 18 September 2007, at the Bearings, Bowbridge Road, Newark, Nottingham, before MrΒ Colin Tyrrell, MA (Oxon), CEng, MICE, FIHT, an independent Inspector appointed by the Secretaries of State for Transport and for Planning.
5. The decision to make the orders needed for the scheme follows acceptance of the Inquiry Inspector's recommendation in his report to the Secretaries of State. The decision letter and the Inspector's report are available on the DfT's website
http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/network/strategic/programme/decisionletters/
6. The Department for Transport is offering to contribute Β£174 million of additional funding to the Region, including all of the costs incurred in 2009/10. This represents 50% of the current central estimate of scheme cost, excluding historic costs. Historic costs are those incurred on the scheme prior to the 2008/09 financial year. The East Midlands Regional Assembly, and the Region's Housing, Planning & Transport Joint Board has agreed to accelerate the scheme and to find their share of the costs from their Regional Funding Allocation. This will be subject to final ratification by the full Regional Assembly in February 2009.
7. The revised cost range estimate for this scheme is Β£322m to Β£409m, with a central estimate of Β£365m. The total cost estimate includes historic costs of Β£17m. Without historic costs the central estimate for start of works in 2009 is Β£348 million.
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