THE long-awaited £745million Aberdeen bypass project is well on the road to completion with preferred bidder, Connect Roads, starting preparatory works.
Connect Roads is a consortium comprising Balfour Beatty, Galliford Try (Morrison Construction) and Carillion.
The pre-start works agreement, worth around £8 million, enables the preferred bidder to undertake further designs and to begin works including fencing, environment surveys and ground investigations ahead of the main works contract.
The pre-start works agreement was announced by Transport Minister Keith Brown, who said, “The people of Aberdeen and the north-east have been waiting for decades for a sign that works are due to start on the AWPR/Balmedie-Tipperty scheme.
“This pre-start works agreement further reinforces our commitment to the project and will complement the advance works already undertaken. This will ensure that the preferred bidder will be in an advanced position after contract award, which is expected later this year.”
Over the next three decades, investment in this project is expected to bring an extra £6 billion to the local economy and create around 14,000 new jobs. During construction, benefits similar in scale to the M74 scheme are expected, which directly supported 900 construction jobs at its peak.
The project is tipped to significantly shorten journey times and will provide substantial benefits across the whole of the north east of Scotland.
Alan Gibson, Bid Director at Connect Roads added, “The construction of the AWPR/B-T will be a complex process, but the pre-start works agreement will ensure that we get the best possible start to the main construction works. We are working closely with Transport Scotland, Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Councils to reach financial close on the main DBFO contract.”
