The shortlist of bidders battling for a share in the £1.9biilion Lower Thames Crossing construction project have been confirmed by National Highways.
Fiver bidders for the £600million Kent Roads design and build road project south of the Thames have been named BFV (comprising of BAM Nuttall, Ferrovial Construction (UK) Ltd and VINCI Construction Grands Projects); Kier Eiffage (KEJV); comprising of Kier Highways and Eiffage Génie Civil and Skanska Construction UK.
Two main bidders will go head to head for the £1.3billion project north of the river; they are Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering and Kier Eiffage.
The successful construction firms will design and build14.3 miles of new roads that will link the longest road tunnel in the UK to the strategic road network.
Matt Palmer, Lower Thames Crossing Executive Director, said “The Lower Thames Crossing is the most ambitious road project this country has seen since the M25 was completed 35 years ago.
“These contracts show our commitment to this project, which will support 22,000 jobs during its construction and provide a huge economic boost to the UK economy when it opens for traffic.
“Our challenge is to build a new crossing that not only supports the next generation of low carbon vehicles but also allows us to enhance the natural environment and leave a positive legacy for generations to come.
“We look forward to this next stage of the procurement process with the five shortlisted companies and hope the final bids match our aspirations.”
Adam Davis, a Director with Palmers who specialises in construction law, said: “The announcement represents a step closer to the single largest road project in our region for many years and is positive news for the construction industry as it will hopefully lead to opportunities for local construction and engineering sub-contractors in our region.
“Our experience in working with the construction and engineering sector means we are ideally placed to provide independent, practical advice to help firms with their contracts, as well as tender submissions.”
For help and support on contract submissions and project delivery compliance, please contact Palmers specialist construction team.