Galliford Try’s infrastructure business has been awarded a £66.5m contract for the construction of the Banwell bypass project by North Somerset Council.
The project, which has a total budget of £105m, is funded through the Homes England Housing Infrastructure Fund and has been secured through the Procure Partnerships Framework.
It is intended to relieve traffic on the A38 route towards Weston-super-Mare from the current pinch-point north of Banwell village, with the aim of paving the way for a future housing development. The project will also include the construction of new cycling, horse-riding and walking routes.
This new contract comes after Alun Griffiths walked away from the project when costs were hit by inflation in materials and labour, pushing the total project budget up from £66m to £89.2m.
North Somerset Council told Highways: 'The £89m previously reported refers to the (then) total scheme cost, as opposed to the Alun Griffiths contract, which was worth £56.5m. Delays caused by Griffiths' decision to pull out have had an impact on costs.
'The total scheme budget now comes to £105m. The construction contract with Galliford Try comes to the reported £66.5m figure. North Somerset Council successfully secured the additional required Housing Infrastructure Fund funding from Homes England last month.'
David Lowery, divisional managing director for Galliford Try Infrastructure, commented: ‘We are delighted that our Infrastructure business has been awarded another significant bypass project in the local authority sector, a core focus for our Sustainable Growth Strategy. We look forward to working with North Somerset Council to deliver a high-quality scheme that will improve the lives of local people.’
Councillor Mike Bell, leader of North Somerset Council and executive member for major projects, said: ‘It’s good news that Homes England has given another green light to the Banwell bypass, providing the funding boost we need to continue the work already underway to build the bypass.
‘Not only does the scheme form an important part of our ambition to deliver £450m of capital investment into local infrastructure, but it also supports further economic growth for our area and helps us to deliver on our Local Plan ambitions.
‘It’s set to remove a notorious congestion pinch point from Banwell village, improving links between Weston-super-Mare and the A38, while also providing walking, cycling and horse-riding routes to help promote sustainable travel.’
