Balfour signs £26m Manchester rail contract

Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering has signed the £26m design and build Entrance Gateway contract at Central Park in East Manchester.

The project, which will be carried out in partnership with Bilfinger Berger, has been awarded by New East Manchester, which is acting as client for Manchester City Council and GMPTE.

The high profile scheme involves the design and construction of a 140m-long revolutionary concrete Finback Bridge over the Manchester Victoria rail route and a 35m-long jacked-box tunnel under the rail line. The contract also comprises a Metrolink station with a 45m landmark feature copper canopy, together with a concrete bridge over the new 400m long dual-carriageway road.

The integrated project team includes: Balfour Beatty, Bilfinger Berger AG, designers MEDC and Gifford, architect Aukett and New East Manchester.