Balfour Beatty awarded £104m Norfolk road deal

Balfour Beatty will complete works on the Norwich Northern Distributor Road (NNDR) after being awarded a £104 million contract by Norfolk County Council.

The company will construct the new 19.6 km dual carriageway, including nine new roundabouts, seven new bridges, an underpass and a more complex two level junction. The new dual carriageway will run from the A1067 Fakenham Road, crossing the A140 at Norwich International Airport and joining the A47 at Postwick, at the eastern end of Norwich Southern Bypass.

Construction work will commence this winter and is scheduled for completion in late 2017. A workforce of over 500 will be employed on the project at construction peak.

The new road will serve Broadland, Norfolk, and improve access to North Norfolk and Norwich International Airport, with better links to Great Yarmouth and the south of the region. It will also bring relief on congested and unsuitable roads around the north and east of Norwich.

Balfour Beatty was awarded the Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) phase of the NNDR scheme in 2009 and has since then been assisting Norfolk County Council with design development, construction feasibility advice and development of the scheme’s target cost. The firm is already working on Norfolk County Council’s £27m Postwick junction project which will join the NNDR with the A47 trunk road.

Leo Quinn, Balfour Beatty group chief executive, said: “This project draws on Balfour Beatty’s expertise in successfully partnering with local authorities to deliver large, complex infrastructure projects. We have extensive proven experience of major road schemes, from the ECI phase through to concept and construction programme development and a strong relationship with Norfolk County Council having collaborated on this project over the last six and a half years.

“The NNDR will significantly improve the Norwich and Norfolk road network, providing real benefits to local communities, businesses and the travelling public as well as supporting regional economic growth.”

 

Picture: An aerial view of the new Postwick overbridge under construction. (Picture courtesy Mike Page)