Balfour Beatty wins $625 million contract

UK-based Balfour Beatty has been awarded a $625 million contract by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to reconstruct and improve a 17 km stretch of road in Dallas, Texas, US, in a joint venture with the Texas-based engineering and construction firm Fluor Corporation.

The Southern Gateway contract is part of TxDOT’s Clear Lanes initiative, which is a programme that prioritises funding for congestion relief in Texas’ metropolitan areas.

In the consortium, Balfour Beatty will hold a 45% share, while Fluor Corporation will hold 55%.

Expected to employ approximately 700 workers at its peak, the project includes smoothing and rebuilding existing road elements, enhancing traffic operations, and improving entrance and exit ramps. Capacity on Interstate 35E (I-35E) will be increased, the interchange between I-35E and US67 will be rebuilt, and US67 will be widened between I-35E and I-20.

These works are intended to improve road-user safety and relieve congestion for the 180,000 motorists who are said to use the road each day.

Leo Quinn, Balfour Beatty group chief executive, said, “This award recognises our expertise and track record for delivering complex design-build transportation projects following our successful delivery of the adjacent Dallas Horseshoe Project.”

Construction is scheduled to begin in late 2017 and end in 2021.