Construction giant Costain has dropped out of the quartet of firms building National Highways’ proposed £1.5bn A66 Northern Trans-Pennine scheme.
Last October, the government-owned company said that Balfour Beatty, Costain, Keltbray and Kier had signed up to work together on the scheme, which will see the remaining single carriageway sections of the road dualled and key junctions between M6 Junction 40 (Penrith) and the A1 at Scotch Corner improved.
Simon Ellison, Costain’s then highways director, who has since left the company, described the arrangements as ‘a unique Enterprise collaboration with our partners’.
Happier times: Mr Ellison (second from left) during last October's announcement
However, both Costain and National Highways have said that the firm will drop out of the quartet as part of ‘a change in contracting strategy’. No further explanation was offered.
A National Highways spokesperson said: ‘National Highways and Costain have agreed to a change in contracting strategy, which will see Costain’s involvement on the A66 come to an organised and managed end.
‘We would like to thank Costain for their work during the development phase of one of our most significant and complex projects.’
Similarly, Costain spokesperson said: ‘We’ve been holding regular meetings with National Highways about the A66 scheme. As a result of those meetings, we’ve both agreed to a change in contracting strategy which will see Costain’s involvement in the development phase of the A66 come to an organised and managed end.
‘We will continue to bring our innovation and expertise to other critically important National Highways projects.’
Among other major projects on the strategic road network that Costain is involved in is the £330m A30 Chiverton to Carland Cross upgrade in Cornwall.
However, National Highways recently cancelled a project to install concrete central barrier to a stretch of the M62 before work was due to start over concerns about increasing costs.
