Contractors appointed for £1.25 billion A303 Stonehenge tunnel construction
A joint venture has been chosen
Last updated 26th May 2022
National Highways have chosen their preferred bidder for the A303 Stonehenge tunnel construction project.
The £1.25 billion contract for the tunnel and main building work has been awarded to the MORE joint venture, comprising of the Spanish FCC Construcción, Italy's WeBuild and Austrian BeMo Tunnelling.
The whole project is still costing a total of £1.7 billion.
National Highways say the decision was made following "a robust procurement process".
The planning application for the controversial scheme is still pending redetermination by the Secretary of State for Transport, following the quashing of the decision to grant the Development Consent Order.
Derek Parody, National Highways’ Project Director for the A303 Stonehenge scheme, said:
“The contract will only become live once the Secretary of State has concluded the planning process.
“The announcement of a preferred bidder in no way pre-empts any decision, and once that is finalised, and should the Development Consent Order be granted, having a contractor in place will put us in the strongest possible position to deliver this transformational scheme and deliver the benefits we know it can.
“The scheme will not only unlock congestion along this vital A303 route, but also conserve and enhance the Outstanding Universal Value of the World Heritage Site, and the joint venture will bring world class expertise to the construction of the tunnel and the roads.
“We’re pleased we have now identified our contractors, they are internationally renowned and they will also be making best use of considerable UK skills by using a range of local, regional and national suppliers and contractors to help them deliver the scheme.”
In a statement, the joint venture said:
“For the companies that are part of the MORE JV – Webuild, FCC Construcción, and BeMo Tunnelling – this project is a clear example of the development of sustainable, innovative infrastructures that not only provide traffic solutions but also improve people’s quality of life.
“It is also an opportunity to demonstrate the experience and international technical capacity of the companies of the MORE joint venture.”
The contracts for archaeology and enabling preliminary work were announced in 2020, as part of the total £1.7 billion capital cost of the scheme.
Wessex Archaeology, one of the largest contractors in the sector, were awarded the £35 million Archaeological Mitigation Contract, Octavius Infrastructure have been awarded the £8.5 million Preliminary Works Contract through the Collaborative Delivery Framework.