Costain gains M1 motorway deal

Two key Highways Agency contracts on the UK’s M1 motorway worth a total of £125 million (€156.9 million) have been awarded to Costain.

The firm’s work on the Smart Motorway scheme – which is designed to ease congestion through making use of the hard shoulder lane, will focus on junctions 28-31 and 32-35a.

Under such smart projects, road speeds electronically adapt to driving conditions. The system has been found by Highways Agency studies to aid traffic flow and is already in use on sections of the M25 motorway.

Work on the two adjacent stretches of road is to begin immediately and is scheduled for completion in 2017.

Darren James, managing director of Costain Infrastructure, said the company had set its focus on delivering projects that are technology-led. He believed that initiatives such as smart motorways were a strong solution to national infrastructure challenges.