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Lower Thames Crossing leads the way with zero-emissions construction equipment

National Highways’ Lower Thames Crossing is on track to become the first major infrastructure project in the UK to be carbon neutral. The roll-out of zero-emissions construction equipment is now well under way, and it shows how the industry can build large roads without relying on diesel. Over 30 electric, hydrogen and HVO powered machines are already working across Kent and Essex.

Lower Thames Crossing leads the way with zero-emissions construction equipment

Zero-emissions machines at work across Kent and Essex

Work on the new road and tunnel under the River Thames began in early 2026. Since then, crews have used only electric, HVO and hydrogen powered equipment and machinery. HVO, or hydrotreated vegetable oil, is a renewable fuel that offers a lower-carbon alternative to conventional diesel. Together, these three technologies power everything from heavy plant to site generators without burning fossil diesel.

The machines currently at work include 20 tonne excavators, rollers, tractors, telehandlers and hydrogen generators. The fleet will grow to around 150 by peak construction in 2028. The Construction Equipment Association predicts this will be one of the largest deployments of zero-emissions equipment for an infrastructure project anywhere in the world.

The project has also gone further than cutting back on diesel. It has banned diesel from its construction sites since 2025, which is another first for a major British infrastructure project. That decision sends a clear signal to contractors, suppliers and other schemes that low-carbon equipment is ready for large-scale use.

Beyond the carbon savings, zero-emissions equipment can bring other benefits to people living near the sites. Electric machines typically run more quietly than diesel equivalents and produce no exhaust fumes where they operate, which helps to protect air quality in communities along the route.

Matt Palmer, Chief Executive Officer of the Lower Thames Crossing, revealed the news in the project’s 2025-26 Sustainability Report. He said: “We’re making real progress on the Lower Thames Crossing, and our ambition to make this the greenest road ever built in the UK means we’re cutting carbon on a scale that hasn’t been tried before. By putting these zero-emissions machines to work, we’re showing that the construction industry can break its reliance on diesel and these innovative low-carbon approaches can become normal practice on projects across the UK.”

His comments highlight the scale of the challenge. Heavy machinery runs for long hours over many years on a major road scheme, so construction produces a large share of the emissions. By tackling that source directly, the Lower Thames Crossing aims to prove that cleaner methods work in practice, not just on paper. If one of the UK’s largest road projects can work without diesel, other contractors will find it harder to argue that the technology is not ready.

Lower Thames Crossing leads the way with zero-emissions construction equipment

A carbon pathfinder for the wider industry

The Lower Thames Crossing acts as a carbon pathfinder project. Its purpose is to reduce its own carbon footprint and to prove that low-carbon methods can work at scale, which supports the construction industry’s transition to net zero. The project can also share what it learns about fuelling, performance and reliability with the rest of the sector.

The approach is already spreading. Organisations such as Sizewell C, Anglian Water and East West Rail have adopted the methods the project pioneered across more than £30 billion of future projects. That uptake suggests the lessons learned in Kent and Essex will shape how Britain builds for years to come.

Hydrogen, skills, nature and heritage

Alongside its progress on decarbonising construction, the 2025–26 Sustainability Report sets out progress against the project’s wider commitments to communities, local businesses and nature. Hydrogen is a key part of the story. The project secured the supply of green hydrogen from British firm GeoPura, which has since invested in a local production facility at the Port of Tilbury. Producers make green hydrogen using renewable electricity, so it gives the project a fuel with no carbon emissions where it is used. Hydrogen now powers all work at the northern tunnel portal site.

People and skills also feature strongly. The project has opened its first Skills Hub in Gravesham, where over 150 local people have received free training in construction skills. Project teams have also spoken with over 600 local businesses to help them win work on the Lower Thames Crossing.

Nature and heritage are part of the plan too. The project has completed a new nature site near the village of Thong, the first of over 3,000 acres of green space it is creating. Meanwhile, detailed archaeology digs across the local area are uncovering local history and giving communities a closer connection to the past beneath their feet.

Why the Lower Thames Crossing matters

The Lower Thames Crossing will tackle congestion at the Dartford Crossing and create a more reliable trade route connecting South East ports with the Midlands and the North. For drivers, that should mean fewer delays. For businesses, it should mean more dependable journeys for freight.

The project received planning permission in March 2025. In November 2025, it received the final part of public funding, which allowed it to start work and seek private investment to complete construction and operate the new road. The road is expected to open in the early to mid-2030s.

If the project keeps to its current path, it will leave two lasting legacies: a vital new road and a proven blueprint for zero-emissions construction.

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New Sector Skills Plan launched to safeguard heritage construction expertise

A new industry-led plan to tackle the skills shortage threatening the UK’s heritage and traditional building sector has been unveiled, with backing from the National Federation of Builders (NFB) and the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).

The Repair, Maintenance and Improvement (RMI) Heritage and Traditional Build Sector Skills Plan was revealed at the NFB’s Heritage and Traditional Build conference, held at Painters’ Hall, the 16th century home of the Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers in the City of London, a fitting venue given the subject matter. The plan brings together employers, industry bodies and training providers with the aim of addressing some of the most pressing skills challenges facing the UK’s historic built environment.

New Sector Skills Plan launched to safeguard heritage construction expertise — Cockburn shopping street

Led by the NFB and developed in partnership with a wide range of employers, industry groups, education providers and heritage organisations, the plan identifies five priority areas where collaborative action is needed: workforce development, sector leadership, training provision, net zero and climate change, and procurement. Together, these strands are designed to create clearer routes into heritage construction careers, widen access to specialist training and help safeguard traditional skills for future generations.

The scale of the challenge is considerable. Historic England estimates that there are around 5.5 million traditional, pre-1919 buildings in England, and the organisation’s 2024 Skills Needs Analysis examined the supply and demand for the skills required to repair, maintain and retrofit them. With growing pressure to improve the energy performance of older properties, the need for specialist skills is becoming increasingly important as the UK looks to improve the energy performance of older buildings. CITB is supporting the plan as part of its wider Sector Skills Plans programme, with £3.8 million allocated to the RMI plan covering domestic retrofit and heritage and traditional buildings.

Tim Balcon, chief executive of CITB, said: “The heritage construction sector is responsible for maintaining some of our most important landmarks and buildings. This Sector Skills Plan has been developed by the industry, for the industry, bringing together training providers, employers, and stakeholder organisations to help identify the actions that need to take place to strengthen the future of the workforce.

“CITB is proud to support and invest in this industry-owned initiative, to help give a greater say to employers in how skills support is shaped, while also opening pathways for new entrants and safeguarding specialist expertise for generations to come.”

James Butcher, deputy chief executive of the NFB and industry chair of the plan, described the scale of the task facing the sector. “With one in five homes and one in three commercial properties traditionally built, ensuring that we have a sufficient and competent workforce able to look after these buildings is essential and that is what this plan is all about. Whether it is repairing, maintaining, improving, renovating, restoring, retrofitting or adapting for the future, there is plenty of work to be done but not always the supply chain able to do it.

“This plan acts as a framework, setting out the key skills challenges facing our part of the sector and calling for action from across industry to help tackle them. Protecting heritage and traditional buildings for the future requires a lot of love and attention, and keeping heritage and traditional build skills alive does too.”

Rather than a one-off announcement, the plan has been designed as an ongoing programme of work. The RMI Heritage and Traditional Build Sector Skills Plan is intended to be a live programme of activity that evolves alongside the needs of the industry, ensuring employers can continue to shape skills priorities as market conditions, technologies and workforce requirements change. It builds on groundwork laid earlier in the year, when the NFB first signalled plans for a dedicated heritage skills strategy ahead of the conference.

Several supporting initiatives were launched alongside the plan itself. Among them is an upskilling travel support pilot, which will reimburse eligible employees up to £335 towards travel and accommodation costs for specialist training that is not available locally — a practical response to the geographical gaps in provision that have long made it difficult for smaller firms and rural practitioners to access niche courses. A feasibility study is also being carried out with Historic England, which will explore whether greater visibility of future heritage work could give employers the confidence to invest in training.

The conference also saw the launch of the NFB’s National Heritage Skills Forum, intended to bring industry voices together to strengthen sector leadership and coordination, alongside the development of skills and knowledge statements to support heritage and traditional build occupations and competencies. The forum has a particular purpose beyond general coordination: it has been established partly to address the gap left by the closure of the National Heritage Training Group, which previously provided a national focus for heritage construction skills and training. Its absence has been keenly felt across the sector, and its replacement with an NFB-led body is likely to be welcomed by contractors who have struggled to find a unified voice for heritage skills issues in recent years.

For fleet operators and contractors working across the repair, maintenance and improvement sector, the plan’s emphasis on training provision and workforce development is likely to have practical implications for how specialist teams are recruited, deployed and kept mobile between sites, particularly where training now available only through travel bursaries requires staff to work away from their home base. The net zero and climate change strand of the plan will also be of interest to operators supporting retrofit work, as demand grows for tradespeople who can combine traditional building methods with modern energy efficiency requirements.

With such a significant proportion of the UK’s housing and commercial stock reliant on traditional construction methods, the shortage of appropriately skilled tradespeople has been a long-standing concern for heritage bodies, insurers and local authorities alike. This new plan represents one of the most coordinated attempts yet to bring the various strands of the industry, from training providers to employers and specialist trade bodies, behind a single, evolving framework. Its success will likely depend on how effectively the five priority areas translate into tangible training places, funded pathways and a supply chain capable of meeting demand across both routine maintenance and major restoration projects in the years ahead.

Construction Government Policy Nationwide Sureties News Public Works Contract

New Hospital Programme awards 11 construction partnerships

The Government has taken another major step in delivering its long-term NHS infrastructure plans by confirming 11 construction partnerships under the New Hospital Programme (NHP). The agreements mark a significant milestone for the programme’s innovative Hospital 2.0 delivery model, which aims to build hospitals faster, more efficiently and at better value for taxpayers through standardised design and collaborative procurement.

The partnerships will deliver the first wave of major hospital projects using the Hospital 2.0 Alliance (H2A), bringing together NHS trusts and leading construction companies under a new collaborative framework designed to replace traditional procurement methods that have often delayed major public sector projects.

The announcement represents one of the most significant developments in the Government’s wider £37 billion New Hospital Programme, which aims to modernise England’s ageing hospital estate while creating greater certainty for the construction industry and supporting thousands of skilled jobs.

Hospital 2.0: A New Way to Build Hospitals

At the heart of the programme is Hospital 2.0, a standardised approach to designing, constructing and operating NHS hospitals.

Rather than treating every new hospital as a bespoke project, Hospital 2.0 introduces repeatable designs, standardised components and modern methods of construction. Around 80% of each hospital will follow common design principles while allowing the remaining elements to be tailored to local clinical requirements. The approach is intended to reduce design costs, speed up construction, improve quality and enable multiple hospitals to be built simultaneously.

The programme also focuses on improving patient outcomes. New hospitals will feature predominantly single-patient bedrooms, digitally enabled facilities, flexible clinical spaces, improved patient flow and sustainable building techniques. The standardised designs are intended to provide hospitals capable of meeting NHS needs for at least the next 60 years while enhancing infection prevention, staff wellbeing and operational efficiency.

Eleven Partnerships Confirmed

The Hospital 2.0 Alliance has matched ten leading construction organisations with 11 Wave 1 hospital schemes following a collaborative allocation process.

The proposed delivery partnerships include Airedale NHS Foundation Trust with GRAHAM; Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust with Willmott Dixon; Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust with Sacyr UK; Hinchingbrooke Hospital with Kier Construction; Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust with Laing O’Rourke; James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust with Skanska; Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust with Integrated Health Projects; Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust with Morgan Sindall Construction; North Manchester General Hospital with Bovis Construction; and West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust with Dragados.

The collaborative model differs significantly from conventional procurement by creating long-term partnerships rather than one-off contracts. The intention is that lessons learned on one hospital can be rapidly applied across future projects, improving productivity, safety and consistency throughout the programme.

Cutting Bureaucracy and Speeding Up Delivery

The Government says the new arrangements will reduce procurement delays that have historically slowed major NHS capital projects.

Karin Smyth, Minister of State for Health, said: “For too long, the construction of new hospitals has been bogged down by bureaucratic procurement processes, even after full approval and funding was in place, and we’re determined to change that.

“The changes announced today are a major step forward in streamlining the procurement process. Patients can look forward to new hospitals being delivered quicker, industry can plan with certainty, and taxpayers can be assured that we are getting maximum value for their money.

“With stronger collaboration, shared learning and a boost for jobs, this further demonstrates this government’s commitment to the New Hospital Programme, providing world-class facilities for the NHS and helping the economy in the process.”

Learning from Every Project

One of Hospital 2.0’s defining features is the creation of a collaborative supply chain through the Hospital 2.0 Alliance.

Instead of contractors working independently on individual projects, the framework encourages knowledge sharing across every scheme. Construction partners will work to common standards for health and safety, quality, sustainability and productivity, enabling continuous improvement as each new hospital progresses.

The programme also places significant emphasis on industrialised construction methods, including greater use of off-site manufacturing, standardised building components, digital design and data-driven project management. These approaches are expected to reduce waste, improve programme certainty and help address skills shortages within the construction sector.

Delivering Better Hospitals

The first annual New Hospital Programme report highlights Hospital 2.0 as a key enabler for delivering future NHS infrastructure more efficiently following the programme’s reset in 2025.

The report states that the standardised design is now substantially complete, with prototype patient rooms already tested and final design products being shared with participating NHS trusts. The programme has also strengthened governance, commercial oversight and technical expertise through the appointment of its Health Delivery Partnership and the mobilisation of the Hospital 2.0 Alliance.

While challenges remain, including maintaining market capacity and delivering multiple large-scale projects concurrently, ministers believe the new delivery model provides a more realistic and sustainable framework for transforming the NHS estate.

For patients, the programme promises modern, digitally enabled hospitals designed around privacy, safety and clinical efficiency. For the construction industry, it offers a long-term pipeline of work with greater certainty. For taxpayers, the Government hopes Hospital 2.0 will deliver better value through standardisation, collaboration and reduced procurement delays.

Civil Engineering Government Policy News Public Works Contract

Northern Powerhouse Rail faces HS2-style risks unless lessons are learnt

The government’s flagship Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) programme risks repeating many of the costly mistakes that plagued HS2 unless governance, planning and cost control are significantly improved, according to a damning report from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

In its latest report, the influential cross-party committee warns that, despite renewed political commitment to improving rail connectivity across the North of England, there remains considerable uncertainty over the project’s scope, delivery and affordability. Perhaps most significantly, MPs question whether the scheme can realistically be delivered within the government’s £45bn funding cap when much of the railway has yet to be fully designed or costed.

Northern Powerhouse Rail faces HS2-style risks unless lessons are learnt — Manchester Piccadilly Station. https://depositphotos.com/portfolio-7196216.html?content=photo

The PAC concludes that the Department for Transport (DfT) has failed to demonstrate a convincing plan for delivering NPR within budget and has not provided sufficient evidence that it has learnt the lessons from the failures that beset HS2. The committee is particularly concerned that key decisions on routes, capacity, governance and delivery remain unresolved more than a decade after Northern Powerhouse Rail was first proposed.

Clive Betts MP, deputy chair of the Public Accounts Committee, said: “The government’s growth strategy earlier this year signalled that there is still an appetite to finally deliver the transport infrastructure the North so badly needs. But the spectre of HS2 hangs over Northern Powerhouse Rail.

“Our Committee has heard troubling echoes of the same mistakes in loose governance that HS2 made early on, and so much of the project remains almost impressionistic, twelve years on. HS2 have even been brought on board to develop NPR’s own plans. As HS2 has been a casebook example of how not to run a major project, so their involvement in NPR does not fill us with confidence.

“Both the Treasury and DfT have questions to answer about the project’s £45bn funding cap. Given the fact that this project has not been fully scoped or designed, it is hard to see how the government was able to arrive at a hard £45bn cap.

“We have therefore written to the acting accounting officer asking that question. We need to know how this figure was arrived at and how DfT will keep to it. Capping a project’s funding before it was even designed or costed feels like putting a roof on a house before the foundations are even laid. We also need to understand how mayoral authorities will have enough scrutiny for this project to be delivered successfully.

“Northern towns and cities desperately need better connectivity, and the growth that it will provide; what they and this Committee need right now, is a clear and deliverable plan to achieve that.”

The committee’s concerns centre on the £45bn funding cap announced as part of the government’s transport strategy. MPs argue there is little evidence explaining how this figure was calculated, particularly when the overall programme has yet to be fully scoped. Without detailed engineering designs and reliable cost estimates, the PAC believes there is a significant risk that NPR could follow HS2’s trajectory of escalating costs and repeated revisions.

The report also raises questions about governance. It highlights the involvement of HS2 Ltd in developing plans for the Liverpool-Manchester section of the railway, arguing that the company’s record on cost estimation and programme delivery does little to inspire confidence. MPs warn that unless governance arrangements are strengthened from the outset, the project could repeat many of the structural weaknesses that contributed to HS2’s well-documented difficulties.

Beyond governance, the PAC identifies wider delivery risks. It says there remains uncertainty over how local authorities and combined mayoral authorities will oversee the programme, while planning, environmental mitigation and biodiversity requirements could place additional pressure on costs. As seen on HS2, environmental obligations have the potential to add significant expense if they are not properly managed during the design stage.

The committee nevertheless recognises the economic importance of Northern Powerhouse Rail. Better east-west rail connectivity between cities including Liverpool, Manchester, Bradford, Leeds, Sheffield, Hull and Newcastle is widely regarded as essential to improving productivity, supporting housing growth and creating a more balanced national economy. The PAC says its criticism is intended to improve the likelihood of successful delivery rather than question the need for investment itself.

The Department for Transport has rejected suggestions that NPR will become another HS2. Responding to the report, a DfT spokesperson said: “NPR will not repeat the mistakes of HS2 which is why we accepted all the recommendations of the James Stewart Review and are taking a disciplined, phased approach, completing detailed technical work with all stakeholders before fixing precise choices for major infrastructure.

“Since announcing NPR in January, we have worked closely with Mayors to take the project forward. New joint partnership forums are already overseeing the next stage of development and Network Rail has begun developing engineering designs.”

Industry leaders have also stressed the importance of maintaining momentum while improving delivery discipline. The Northern Powerhouse Partnership has consistently argued that better rail connectivity is fundamental to unlocking economic growth across the North, while calling for greater fiscal devolution and stronger collaboration between central government and regional leaders to ensure projects can be delivered effectively.

The PAC’s report serves as a stark reminder that delivering major infrastructure is about more than political ambition. Without clearly defined scope, robust governance and realistic budgeting, even projects with widespread support can struggle to deliver value for taxpayers.

For Northern Powerhouse Rail, the challenge is now clear. The government must demonstrate that it has genuinely learnt the lessons of HS2 by producing a credible delivery plan capable of meeting both the ambitions for the North and the realities of a £45bn funding envelope. Until then, MPs warn, there remains a real risk that one of Britain’s most important transport projects could find itself repeating the very mistakes it was expected to avoid.

Civil Engineering Construction Materials Nationwide Sureties News Public Works Contract

RAAC hospital replacements set to miss 2030 target

The £56bn New Hospital Programme, which includes the remediation and replacement of hospitals built with Reinforced Aerated Autoclaved Concrete (RAAC), is set to miss its original 2030 deadline, with some projects now expected to overrun by several years.

According to a new report from the National Audit Office (NAO), RAAC hospital remediation projects are likely to be delayed by between two and three years. While this represents a significant setback for estates identified as critical safety priorities, the watchdog says the programme is now on a firmer footing following a major reset under the current government.

The NAO states that the final hospitals within the programme are now expected to be completed in the 2045–46 period, more than a decade later than initially pledged. However, it adds that improved governance and clearer delivery plans have increased confidence among contractors and the wider supply chain.

The report highlights that the programme reset has improved certainty for construction partners, but warns that delivery remains finely balanced. With tight schedules and limited alternatives available, the next five years will need to see minimal errors, delays or cost increases if further slippage is to be avoided. The NAO notes that overly ambitious timetables were a key factor behind earlier delays to RAAC hospital projects.

Despite these risks, industry interest remains strong. Around 20 contractors and 16 firms have been shortlisted to participate in the programme, including major players such as Bam, McLaren and Morgan Sindall.

Andy Morrison, who directed the NAO report, said: “The programme to upgrade and build new hospitals is now on a more realistic timetable. The final hospitals to be completed will be in 2046.

“However, despite being priorities, hospitals built with Reinforced Aerated Autoclaved Concrete (RAAC) are now not expected to be replaced until 2032-33.

“Standardised hospital designs plan to have single rooms and be digitally enabled, offering potential savings and a stronger market for contractors. But these benefits depend on robust programme oversight.

“Staff will also need to buy-in to operational changes for hospitals to achieve efficiencies and improvements in patient care.”

The New Hospital Programme was originally announced by then prime minister Boris Johnson in 2019, with a headline commitment to deliver 40 new hospitals by 2030. It later emerged that this figure included refurbishments and extensions to existing hospitals, rather than 40 entirely new builds, prompting criticism over how the pledge had been presented.

Further scrutiny revealed that, under the original plans, funding for the programme would have been exhausted by March 2025, leaving later projects without confirmed financial backing.

Under the revised approach, HM Treasury will now fund hospital construction in five-year investment waves. Each wave is expected to increase by £15bn, reaching an average annual spend of £3bn per year from 2030 onwards. While this model provides longer-term certainty, it also means the overall programme completion date has moved to more than 10 years beyond the original target.

Secretary of state for health and social care Wes Streeting was highly critical of the programme’s condition when he took office, saying: “I was shocked by what I found on entering the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). The programme was hugely delayed, by several years more than had already been revealed by the National Audit Office. Most shocking of all, the funding for the programme was due to run out in March of this year, with no provision for future years whatsoever. The money simply was not there. The programme was built on the shaky foundation of false hope and without the confirmed funding these building projects could not be delivered, let alone delivering them all in the next 5 years.

“If I was shocked by the state of this programme, patients ought to be furious. Not only because the promises made to them were never going to be kept. They also desperately need new buildings and new hospitals.”

While the NAO acknowledges that the reset has improved the programme’s credibility, it warns that sustained political focus, tight cost control and strong oversight will be essential if the government is to deliver safer, modern hospitals and address the ongoing risks posed by RAAC across the NHS estate.

Construction Contracts Nationwide Sureties Public Works Contract

Engineers with a head for heights rock up for specialist work

Engineers have been scaling the heights to carry out strengthening work on steep slopes above Gloucester as part of National Highways’ A417 Missing Link scheme.

Running up and over the Cotswolds escarpment in dramatic Jurassic limestone cuttings, the landscape-led scheme is creating a free-flowing 3.5-mile dual carriageway link between the Brockworth bypass and the Cowley roundabout in Gloucestershire.

Navigating the escarpment, which has one of the highest inland concentrations of landslides in the country, has presented the company and contractor Kier with one of its biggest engineering challenges.

Engineers have been scaling the heights to carry out strengthening work on steep slopes above Gloucester as part of National Highways’ A417 Missing Link scheme — The excavated cuttings across the Cotswold escarpment

Two deep cuttings – 50 metres wide and up to 19 metres in height – have been excavated through the limestones to make way for a half-mile section of the new road.

And following excavation, a team of dentitions from engineering specialists GT Jones are now climbing the escarpment with safety ropes to clear loose material from the rock faces and repair and strengthen any faults and voids.

The aim of the scheme is to blend the new dual carriageway into the natural surroundings and enhance the special character of the area – reconnecting landscape, ecology and geology.

And once the road crosses the top of Crickley Hill, it will effectively be hidden from view by false embankments, while the deep rock cuttings will make visible the unique foundations of the Cotswold landscape.

The current rock climbing work will play a vital role in preventing future weathering and instability of the slopes, while creating a natural looking and improved finish.

National Highways Senior Project Manager Celine Acard said: “It’s amazing, specialised work and another example of the many unseen facets of work going into construction of the new dual carriageway.

“Our work on this vital scheme goes beyond simply building a new road, but also helping to preserve and enhance the landscape, and we’re really proud of all the engineering, environmental and ecological work being carried out as part of this project.

Ed Jones, Commercial Manager at GT Jones, said: “We’re proud to support the A417 Missing Link dentition works which requires specialist personnel, IRATA rope-access capability, and equipment designed for operating safely on steep and unstable rock faces.

“We’ve built strong experience in rock stabilisation, fissure remediation, and slope-engineering projects, and we’re applying that expertise directly here on the A417. By combining controlled descaling, targeted remediation, and engineered backfilling, we’re able to restore the structural integrity of the limestone escarpment and support Kier and National Highways in delivering a long-term, resilient solution.”

The scheme is progressing well and the construction of an underbridge at the top of the escarpment this year will enable a traffic switch from the existing A417 early in the new year, when drivers will be able to travel on a stretch of the new road in early 2026.

Supporting the landscape vision of the scheme, National Highways is continuing to work with stakeholders to maximise environmental benefits.

Alongside the programme of dry stone walling, environmental work is continuing with the planting of trees, along with hedges, and the creation of woodland and grasslands to improve sustainability.

So far, 17,000 trees have been planted, the programme of planting and seeding will continue into the spring and following completion of the project, a five-year maintenance period will follow to ensure the successful bedding in and growth of all new trees and shrubs.

Civil Engineering Public Works Contract Structural Engineering

A432 bridge construction reaches milestone

National Highways is warning road users that the M4 north of Bristol will be closed to allow steel beams for the new A432 Badminton Road Bridge to be lifted into place.

The M4 will be closed in both directions between junctions 18 (Bath) and 19 (M32) from 7pm Friday, 10th October to 6am Monday, 13th October.

The closure marks a key milestone for the scheme, which will see eight steel beams lifted into place across the motorway, marking the last full weekend closure of the M4 for this scheme and the final major stage of reconstruction.

Once the beams have been lifted into place, the remainder of the new bridge will be constructed with minimal disruption to the motorway below and will be open to the public in early 2026.

The new bridge – 46.5m in length and 20m wide – will span eight lanes of motorway but will be slightly wider.

This is to ensure the road lanes and pavements are wide enough to meet today’s safety standards. The barriers along the sides are higher to keep people walking and cycling safer.

Sean Walsh, Route Manager for National Highways, said: “The beam lift is a huge milestone in the construction of the new bridge, but we appreciate that any road closures can be frustrating for people.

“We need to fully close the M4 because we’ll be lifting eight 80-tonne steel beams into place, and it’s vital that we keep those doing the work and motorists safe.

“Once complete, the new bridge will help reconnect drivers, businesses and the local communities that have been impacted by the closure.”

With 3,000 to 4,000 vehicles using this section of the M4 every hour during peak weekend periods, the closure is likely to cause substantial disruption, and drivers are advised, where possible, to avoid the area and plan their journeys for alternative times.

National Highways thanks people for their patience while carrying out this significant construction work, which will bring smoother, more reliable, and safer journeys for road users.

A diversion for westbound traffic will be as follows:

From M4 junction 18, exit the motorway roundabout to the A46 heading towards Bath
At the A46/A420 junction just past Pennsylvania, take the A420 towards Warmley
At the A420/A4174 junction in Warmley, take the A4174 towards the M32
Join the M32 at junction 1 and head to the M4 junction 19
Follow directions above in reverse for exiting at M4 junction 19

The eastbound diversion will be in reverse.

Constructed in 1966, the Badminton Road bridge was a concrete post-tensioned structure. In July 2023, a planned detailed structural investigation revealed problems on the underside of the bridge, which meant it had to be closed to traffic.

Having considered the options, demolishing and replacing the existing structure was the quickest and most economical approach to restoring this important local link.

Work is progressing well on site, and the new bridge is due to be open to traffic in early 2026.

Civil Engineering Construction Nationwide Sureties Public Works Contract

£18m loss caused by Severfield bridge faults

Severfield plc, one of the UK’s largest structural steel specialists, has confirmed an £18 million financial hit linked to remedial work on two defective bridges. The announcement has sent ripples through the infrastructure sector, raising fresh concerns over quality assurance, design review processes, and long-term risk exposure in public infrastructure delivery.

The fault, reportedly due to incorrect design assumptions and insufficient load assessments, affects a major logistics infrastructure project—though the client remains unnamed for legal reasons. These issues, detected only after installation, necessitated partial demolition and redesign, sparking a significant cost liability for Severfield.

Timeline of the Project Failure and Financial Fallout

Severfield revealed that the structural issues were discovered during post-installation load testing, which highlighted unacceptable deflections and potential long-term fatigue problems. The bridges, now subject to redesign and reinforcement, were initially hailed as flagship components of a key logistics corridor supporting freight and HGV distribution.

The company has since reached a confidential agreement with the client to jointly address the fault and mitigate further losses, though Severfield will absorb the majority of the remediation cost. Speaking to investors, Severfield noted: “We deeply regret the disruption caused by these bridge defects and are taking all necessary steps to strengthen our quality assurance and engineering oversight.”

This setback contributed to a reduction in Severfield’s adjusted operating margin, which fell to 5.4% from 6.4% the previous year, despite a modest revenue increase to £491.5 million. The total exceptional cost linked to the faulty bridges accounted for more than half of the company’s adjusted profit before tax, which was reported at £32.5 million for the year ending March 2025.

Structural Oversight and the QA Gaps Exposed

While Severfield did not explicitly blame external parties, it acknowledged that flaws emerged from a combination of design misinterpretation and inadequate stress testing. Industry insiders suggest that the issues could point to broader failings in structural engineering validation, especially for complex bridge designs exposed to heavy commercial vehicle loads.

These faults raise questions about whether early-stage risk reviews and third-party audits were sufficiently robust. It also highlights the challenge faced by contractors operating under Design and Build models, where the balance between engineering design, cost containment, and delivery timelines often creates pressure points vulnerable to error.

Financial Implications Beyond the Project

The £18 million loss is the largest single-item hit Severfield has taken in over a decade and follows a string of large infrastructure wins. The company’s share price reacted modestly, with analysts crediting Severfield’s wider portfolio diversification and strong forward order book of £508 million.

Nevertheless, there are lingering concerns about long-term reputational risk and whether future public-sector tenders may be affected. Institutional investors have begun probing governance around project assurance. According to reports, Severfield has now established an internal task force to overhaul its engineering validation protocols.

“This incident, while regrettable, has provided a catalyst for strengthening our internal procedures and client reporting systems,” a company spokesperson confirmed.

Industry-Wide Impact and Future Safeguards

The Severfield bridge faults are not an isolated case. The National Highways Authority recently cited the need for enhanced structural performance monitoring, particularly for bridges constructed using steel box girders and pre-tensioned spans. While no regulatory action has been taken against Severfield, pressure is mounting for an industry-wide response to reduce the risk of similar failures.

The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) has called for a revised standard for third-party design checks and post-construction performance audits. There are also growing calls for changes to procurement models, urging clients to favour collaborative design-build-operate contracts that share risk more equitably between client and contractor.

Severfield’s Recovery Strategy

Despite the challenges, Severfield remains committed to its long-term growth strategy. Its India-based joint venture, JSSL, remains profitable, and several high-profile commercial and defence contracts in the UK and Ireland are progressing on time.

The company confirmed that no further losses are anticipated from the bridge issue and that lessons learned are already being integrated into live projects. In the meantime, Severfield has suspended bidding on similarly complex bridge packages until its new QA regime has been externally validated.

“We continue to work transparently with all stakeholders to ensure structural integrity and public confidence in the built environment,” said the board in its closing remarks.

The £18 million loss incurred by Severfield on account of bridge faults is more than a corporate mishap—it is a stark warning to the UK construction sector. With infrastructure reliability under increasing scrutiny, particularly for bridges exposed to heavy vehicle traffic, the case underscores the critical need for robust engineering, clear accountability, and proactive risk management from design through to commissioning.

As Severfield moves to recover and learn from this episode, the broader construction industry must take note: in the business of bridges, shortcuts and assumptions come at a high cost.

Civil Engineering Construction Costs Government Policy News Public Works Contract

DfT orders cost reassessment of HS2 Phase One

The High Speed 2 (HS2) project, envisioned as a transformative high-speed rail network linking London to Birmingham and beyond, is undergoing a significant overhaul. The Department for Transport (DfT) has embarked on renegotiating contracts with major contractors to address persistent issues of cost overruns, delays, and poor management. This initiative follows sharp criticism from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and other stakeholders, who have called for a fundamental reset of the project to ensure it delivers value for money and meets its objectives.

Contract Renegotiation: Scope and Stakeholders

The renegotiation process targets the main works civils, stations, and systems supplier contracts, involving four major civil engineering joint ventures:

Align JV: Comprising Bouygues, McAlpine, and VolkerFitzpatrick
Balfour Beatty Vinci JV
Eiffage Kier Ferrovial Bam JV
Skanska Costain Strabag JV

These contracts, critical to the construction of the railway from London to Birmingham, have been criticized for their structure. According to reports, they lack sufficient incentives for timely completion, offer limited penalties for underperformance, and allow contractors to continually renegotiate scope and value, resulting in poor value for money. The renegotiations aim to address these shortcomings by pricing risks accurately, verifying historic expenditures, aligning the baseline schedule, and securing the supply chain’s commitment to new terms.

In February 2025, the Public Accounts Committee published a report titled “HS2: Update following the Northern leg cancellation,” which sharply criticized the project’s management. The report opens with a damning statement: “The High Speed Two (HS2) programme has become a casebook example of how not to run a major project.” It highlighted significant cost discrepancies, with the DfT estimating Phase 1 costs at £45-54 billion, while HS2 Ltd projected £54-66 billion. The PAC’s investigation suggested that the total cost, including inflation, could exceed £80 billion.

The report also pointed to specific failures, such as the lack of a concrete plan for the redevelopment of Euston station, which includes the Network Rail station, the underground station, and surrounding commercial and housing developments. Additionally, a bat tunnel, intended to mitigate environmental impact, escalated costs to approximately £100 million, doubling the cost of that section of the railway. The PAC questioned the balance between environmental considerations and financial efficiency.

Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP, Chair of the PAC, was unequivocal in his assessment: “The Department for Transport has failed to manage HS2 properly, and as a result, billions of pounds are likely to have been wasted through delays and overspends.” He called for a reset within the DfT, emphasizing the need for skilled staff to oversee the project and restore the department’s reputation. He expressed hope that future examinations would show improvement.

Table: Key Issues Highlighted by the PAC

The HS2 project has faced ongoing scrutiny for its escalating costs and management issues. Former HS2 Ltd chair Jon Thompson noted that the original contract structures were a primary reason for cost increases, as they provided little incentive for efficiency and minimal ability to penalize poor performance. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, in December 2024, acknowledged external factors like Covid and high inflation but also criticized the project’s management, citing cost underestimation and low productivity.

The Guardian reported on 22 October 2024 that contractors had taken advantage of poorly structured contracts, with Transport Secretary Louise Haigh describing the project’s delivery as “dire”. Additionally, a Construction News article from 14 March 2025 quoted a Balfour Beatty executive expressing scepticism about achieving significant savings through renegotiation, highlighting the challenge of aligning contractor and taxpayer.

The HS2 programme is undergoing a “fundamental reset,” as described by HS2 chief executive Mark Wild in December 2024. Speaking to the PAC, Wild confirmed there would be no re-procurement of existing contracts but emphasized immediate efforts to “bear down on costs,” particularly in the main works civils elements. HS2 chief financial officer Alan Foster noted that contractors recognize the need for better-aligned incentives, stating, “There’s a recognition that we need to find a better alignment of incentives between the taxpayer and the delivery of the works.”

The reset includes shifting more risk to the supply chain to enhance accountability. The DfT and HS2 Ltd are working to ensure that new contract terms are sustainable and deliver value for money. Official documents from GOV.UK indicate that recent contract awards for rail systems were approved by the Investment, Portfolio and Delivery Committee (IPDC) and subjected to rigorous Treasury and Cabinet Office oversight, with a focus on long-term affordability through the 2025 Spending Review.

However, the PAC remains unconvinced that contractors have sufficient incentives to agree to significant changes, warning that financial pressures could be passed down to smaller enterprises in the supply chain, which may struggle to absorb them. The committee has called for regular progress updates on renegotiations and a clear plan if favourable terms cannot be secured by the 2025 summer recess.

The renegotiation of HS2 contracts represents a pivotal moment for the project, aiming to address deep-seated issues of cost, efficiency, and accountability. While the DfT and HS2 Ltd are committed to a comprehensive reset, scepticism persists about the feasibility of achieving significant savings. The success of these efforts will be closely monitored by stakeholders, parliament, and the public, who are eager to see HS2 deliver on its promise of transforming UK rail connectivity. For more information on HS2 Ltd, visit https://www.hs2.org.uk/about-us/.

Construction Contract Tendering Contracts Nationwide Sureties Public Works Contract

The Procurement Act 2023 now in effect

The Procurement Act 2023, effective from 24th February 2025, marks a significant overhaul of public sector procurement in the United Kingdom. This legislation aims to streamline procurement processes, enhance transparency, and create a more accessible environment for suppliers, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), start-ups, and social enterprises.

Key Reforms Introduced by the Procurement Act 2023

The Act introduces a new ‘competitive flexible’ procedure designed to simplify bidding, negotiation, and collaboration with the public sector. This change aims to reduce bureaucratic hurdles, making it easier for suppliers to participate in public procurement opportunities.

Previously, suppliers could be excluded from commercial frameworks for extended periods, limiting their access to public contracts. The new legislation opens up these frameworks, allowing more suppliers to compete and ensuring that they are not unjustly excluded from potential opportunities.

One of the Act’s primary objectives is to level the playing field for smaller businesses and voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs). By removing bureaucratic barriers, these entities can now compete more effectively for public contracts. Additionally, the Act strengthens provisions for prompt payment throughout the supply chain, mandating 30-day payment terms on a broader range of public sector contracts.

To foster continuous improvement and transparency, public bodies are now required to provide consistent feedback to suppliers. This includes detailed bid assessments for final tenders, enabling suppliers to understand their evaluation and identify areas for enhancement in future bids.

The Act launches the ‘Find a Tender’ service, a central digital platform that simplifies the contract bidding process. Suppliers can register and store their business details, facilitating their participation in multiple bids and increasing the visibility of procurement opportunities.

A significant innovation of the Act is the creation of the Procurement Review Unit. The PRU oversees public procurement, engaging with contracting authorities and suppliers to elevate standards across sectors. Building upon the existing Public Procurement Review Service (PPRS), the PRU addresses concerns related to procurement procedures and late payments.

The construction sector stands to benefit considerably from the reforms introduced by the Procurement Act 2023. The Act encourages main contractors to consider the ‘Most Advantageous Tender’ (MAT) rather than solely focusing on the ‘Most Economically Advantageous Tender’ (MEAT). This shift allows for factors such as project timelines and local engagement to be prioritized over mere cost considerations.

Furthermore, the Act introduces a debarment list to prevent underperforming subcontractors from securing future contracts, promoting higher standards and accountability within the industry.

To align with the Procurement Act 2023, suppliers should:

Familiarise Themselves with the Act: Understand the new procedures and requirements to ensure compliance and leverage new opportunities.
Register on the ‘Find a Tender’ Platform: This will streamline the bidding process and increase visibility to public sector contracts.
Engage with the Procurement Review Unit: Address any concerns or seek guidance to navigate the new procurement environment effectively.

The Procurement Act 2023 represents a pivotal shift in public sector procurement, fostering a more inclusive, transparent, and efficient system. By embracing these reforms, suppliers and contractors can position themselves to thrive in the evolving landscape of public procurement in the UK.

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