A14 widening scheme to be designed by Mott MacDonald

Mott MacDonald has been appointed to design the Highways Agency’s 4km widening of the A14 near Kettering in Northamptonshire, England.

The £24 million project will cut congestion, make journey times more reliable, improve safety and support proposed urban and economic developments.

The company has been appointed by a joint venture consisting of BAM Nuttall and Morgan Sindall (bmJV).

Junctions 7-9 of the A14 are highly congested due to commuter traffic and the effects of freight travelling to and from Felixstowe. The scheme will provide an extra lane in each direction within the existing highway boundary between Junction 7 (A43N) and Junction 9 (A509) of the A14 Kettering Bypass.

Mott MacDonald’s design retains as many existing features as possible and minimises the use of large construction plant. This includes retention of drainage, safety barriers and lighting within the central reserve where possible and new concrete retaining structures which will be filled with excavated material from site to negate the import of material.

John Bowes, Mott MacDonald’s project director, said: “Our innovative solutions were developed at tender stage with the joint venture, reducing the cost of construction which was a major contribution to winning the project. The challenge now is to undertake the works within a constrained traffic corridor while minimising disruption to the travelling public.”

Mott MacDonald’s design is due to be finished by the start of 2014, initial construction work on the scheme is due to begin in autumn 2013 and be fully completed by spring 2015.