Infrastructure firm Balfour Beatty has been selected by the UK government’s Highways Agency to transform the M60 and M62 in Greater Manchester into a ‘smart motorway’.
The £184m contract is expected to improve capacity, reduce congestion and shorten journey times for motorists by controlling traffic flows using real-time monitoring.
The project, which will employ 1,000 construction workers at its height, is being carried out by engineering group Costain, Carillion, a provider of support services, and joint venture Bam Nuttall and Morgan Sindall.
Balfour Beatty’s executive chairman, Steve Marshall, said: "This scheme will benefit the 180,000 road users that pass through this section of the motorway network every day.
The scheme will be managed through a collaboration agreement, allowing the firms to share knowledge and best practice.
Andrew Wyllie, CEO of Costain, added: "The upgrading of our road network infrastructure is essential to maintaining and improving connectivity amongst the various regions of the UK, and thus to enabling the nation’s economy to grow.
"We look forward to working in collaboration with the Highways Agency and with our partners to deliver this project, using the latest in new and innovative traffic management technology."
