Major capacity upgrade for key junction on UK’s M25 route

1146 Balfour Beatty and 2296 Skanska will carry out a major motorway junction upgrade project worth €69.7 million (£55 million) in the UK. The two companies will operate on the project in a 50:50 joint venture to upgrade junction 30 of the M25 gyratory motorway around capital London. The deal was awarded by the UK’s 2309 Highways Agency. This joint venture, Balfour Beatty Skanska, is a construction partner to Connect Plus, the company responsible for managing and upgrading the M25 network. Balfour Beatty Skanska has already delivered €1.65 billion (£1.3 billion) worth of ‘smart’ motorway upgrades to 117km of the M25 since 2009. The work on junction 30 in Essex will provide improvements to the motorway where it meets the A13 at Thurrock, as part of a project to reduce congestion, supporting the Government's National Infrastructure Plan. Some 150,000 people/day pass junction 30 and the plan is to improve journey times through increased capacity. The scheme will also accommodate future plans for land use around the Thurrock Thames Gateway and in South Essex. Work is scheduled to commence in January 2015 with completion by 2017.