Shortlist announced for Lower Thames Crossing tunnel contract
07 Apr, 2021 By Catherine Kennedy
Highways England has announced the three joint ventures shortlisted for its £2.3bn contract to build the Lower Thames Crossing road tunnel.
The shortlist is made up of BFV JV, Bouygues Murphy Joint Venture (BMJV) and Dragados-Hochtief Joint Venture (DH JV).
The companies will be invited to enter into competitive dialogue with Highways England, which is the next stage in the contract tender process.
Shortlisted bidders
BFV JV: BAM Nuttal, Ferrovial Construction and Vinci Construction Grands Projets, supported by Atkins, Tecnica y Proyectos SA and Stantec
Bouygues Murphy Joint Venture (BMJV): Bouygues Travaux Publics and J Murphy & Sons, supported by Mott McDonald and Ove Arup and Partners
Dragados-Hochtief Joint Venture (DH JV): Dragados S.A. and Hochtief Infrastructure
The?tunnels and approaches?contract?includes?design and?construction of?twin?bored road tunnels under?the River Thames.?At 16m in diameter, these tunnels will be some of the largest bored tunnels in the world.? They will also be the longest road tunnels in the UK.?The scope also includes the portal buildings, approach roads and the tunnel systems.
When complete the Lower Thames Crossing will improve journeys by almost doubling road capacity across the Thames east of London, with 23km of new road featuring two 4km long tunnels. It will create better connections to the region’s ports, distribution hubs and manufacturing centres.
Lower Thames Crossing executive director Matt Palmer highlighted the importance of the project. “Our roads connect us – we rely on them, and they are a critical part of our economic recovery and low-carbon future,” he said.
“The Lower Thames Crossing is the most ambitious road project this country has seen since the M25 was completed 35 years ago. This contract shows 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.
“This contract is unparalleled in its ambition,?and we need the right partner to match that ambition. We look forward to entering into competitive dialogue with the three shortlisted companies and hope the final bids match our aspirations.”
The successful bidders and their supply chain will help Highways England achieve their ambition of making the Lower Thames Crossing the most environmentally sustainable road project delivered in the UK. They will support delivery of landscaping that will increase the biodiversity value of the area by 15% by planting over 260ha of new woodland, converting 400Ha of arable land into semi-natural habitats, and creating new ponds, waterways, ditches and hedgerows. They will also be responsible for seven new green bridges that connect habits and species either side of the new road.
This contract is one of three main works contracts that will make up the scheme, with a £1.9bn roads contract currently out for tender and the £162.5M Integration Partner contract awarded to Jacobs earlier in the year.
Highways England plans to resubmit its application for a Development Consent Order for the project later this year.
The planning application in November following feedback from The Planning Inspectorate about the impact construction would have on local communities and the environment.