National Highways awards major A417 contract to Kier
National Highways has awarded a £460 million contract to Kier to design and deliver an upgrade to the A417 between Gloucester and Swindon.
An artist바카라 사이트™s impression of the scheme shows plans for a 37m-wide crossing, connecting habitats and allowing users of the Gloucestershire Way to cross the improved A417 safely.
The contract award follows a competitive procurement process through National Highways바카라 사이트™ Regional Delivery Partnership framework.
Kier and National Highways completed a budget setting process in the early part of this year (2022). Kier바카라 사이트™s team will include Volker, Arup, Tony Gee and RPS to prepare for and construct the 3.4-mile route.
The Planning Inspectorate is examining our Development Consent Order (DCO) application, which is needed for all Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects prior to construction starting.
Following the examination바카라 사이트™s conclusion in May, the Planning Inspectorate will send its recommendation of a decision to the Secretary of State for Transport in the summer, with a decision on the route expected by the Secretary of State in the autumn.
Michael Goddard, Project Director for the A417, said:
We are delighted to be working with Kier to move forward this vital scheme.
Kier has an extensive track record working with National Highways and delivering large scale infrastructure projects, so we are confident they will deliver a scheme that meets our landscape-led vision. We will work together to deliver a project that is sympathetic with the special character of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and will support economic growth, improve traffic flows at peak times and make the road safer.
Paul Baker, Kier Highways project director, said:
Delivering highways infrastructure which is vital to the UK is Kier Highways바카라 사이트™ purpose and we are proud to be doing this through the delivery of the A417 contract. We look forward to working with National Highways and our supply chain partners to deliver this vitally important infrastructure project to improve the connectivity of the strategic road network.
We are a national business with a local focus and throughout the duration of the project, we will support the local community through employment opportunities and social value initiatives that leave a positive legacy.
Councillor Mark Hawthorne, Leader of Gloucestershire County Council, added:
I바카라 사이트™m really pleased we바카라 사이트™ve reached this key stage of this vital project. After such a long wait, it really feels like the solution for the 바카라 사이트˜Missing Link바카라 사이트™ is much closer to becoming a reality.
Completion will bring improved safety and air quality along with more reliable journey times leading to huge benefits for our county바카라 사이트™s economy as well as creating new habitats and habitat connections for native wildlife.
The A417/A419 provides an important route between Gloucester and Swindon that helps connect the Midlands/North to the South of England. It바카라 사이트™s an alternative to the M5/M4 route via Bristol.바카라 사이트¯바카라 사이트¯바카라 사이트¯
The Missing Link itself is a three-mile stretch of single-lane carriageway on the A417 between the바카라 사이트¯Brockworth바카라 사이트¯bypass and Cowley roundabout in Gloucestershire.바카라 사이트¯바카라 사이트¯
The Missing Link causes many problems for road users and those who live or work in the area. Congestion can be frequent and unpredictable, so some motorists divert onto local roads to avoid tailbacks.바카라 사이트¯바카라 사이트¯바카라 사이트¯
This causes difficulties for neighbouring communities and local roads were not built to accommodate so much traffic. Poor visibility and other factors also mean that accidents, many of which are serious, occur frequently along this section of road.바카라 사이트¯바카라 사이트¯바카라 사이트¯
Our aim is to improve this section of the A417 with a scheme that includes:바카라 사이트¯바카라 사이트¯
- 4 miles of new dual carriageway connecting the existing A417바카라 사이트¯Brockworth바카라 사이트¯bypass with the existing A417 dual carriageway south of바카라 사이트¯Cowley바카라 사이트¯
- the section to the west of the existing Air Balloon roundabout would follow the existing A417 corridor. However, the section to the south and east of the Air Balloon roundabout would be offline, away from the existing road바카라 사이트¯corridor바카라 사이트¯바카라 사이트¯
- a new junction at바카라 사이트¯Shab바카라 사이트¯Hill, providing a link from the A417 to the A436 towards Oxford and into바카라 사이트¯Birdlip바카라 사이트¯바카라 사이트¯
- a new junction would be included near Cowley, replacing the existing Cowley바카라 사이트¯roundabout바카라 사이트¯바카라 사이트¯
- the existing A417 between the Air Balloon roundabout and the Cowley roundabout would be repurposed. We would convert some lengths of this existing바카라 사이트¯road into a route for walkers, cyclists and horse riders, while retaining other sections to maintain local access for residents.
Similarly, supporting the landscape vision of the scheme, we continue to work with our stakeholders to maximises the benefits. We will be creating new habitats and habitat connections for native wildlife including bats, bees, badgers and more to flourish.
To ensure this, we will deliver:
- 2 miles of dry-stone walls
- 8 miles of hedgerow
- 7ha of native woodland
- 5ha of scrub
- 15ha of native grassland
- 72ha of calcareous grassland
- helping us be at one with nature
Further information on upgrading the A417 can be found at on the .
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