Skanska UK has today been awarded its third highways scheme this month – a contract to design and construct the new M1 Junction 19 near Rugby in the Midlands. The scheme has an estimated value of £119 million and is part of the Highways Agency’s programme of major schemes to reduce congestion and improve safety on England’s motorways and major trunk roads.
The contract has been awarded under the Agency’s Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) initiative, which is designed to enable the contractor to contribute their expertise and innovation to the development of the scheme during the design period. This award follows the recent success of the £23 million A66 Temple Sowerby Bypass and the £241 million M1 junction 6a-10 widening project, again under the ECI.
M1 Junction 19 forms an interchange between three major trunk roads – the M1, M6 and the A14 as well as the A14/M6 corridor, part of the Ireland/UK/Benelux Trans European Network (TEN).
Due for completion in early 2010, the new M1 Junction 19 will provide much improved traffic flow for this key highway interchange, which has seen traffic volumes in recent years increase to 100,000 vehicles per day. This new junction will both improve congestion and reduce delays, but ultimately and most importantly improve road safety in the area.
Design work on the scheme will begin immediately and following the completion of this phase, contract values will be finalised with construction work programmed to commence in Summer 2007.
Under the ECI, Skanska will design and construct a full, four-level junction between the M1 and M6 motorways and the A14 trunk road to create free flowing key movements for M1 through route, M6 to M1 and M6 to A14 through routes. In addition, alternative links will be provided for access to the villages of Catthorpe and Swinford.
New four-level junction
The lowest level of the scheme will be a roundabout beneath the existing M1 motorway. This roundabout will allow all traffic movements between the M1, M6 and A14.
- The second level – the M1 at its present position, will be a dual three-lane motorway with hard shoulders.
- The third level will be a new dual three-lane link connecting the M6 directly to the A14 over the M1.
- The fourth vertical level will be a realigned link to connect the M6 to the M1 (South). This will be the highest part of the scheme and will be a two-lane carriageway with hard shoulder.
Skanska’s designer for the scheme is Jacobs Babtie.