Five gear up for Welsh road scheme

Five firms have finally hit the road for a massively delayed roads deal in north Wales, amid accusations that the client has kept contractors in the dark about the progress of the scheme.
The line-up for the Welsh Assembly's early contractor involvement Drome Corner to Ewloe improvement, valued at between £35m and £45m, is Morgan Est, Balfour Beatty, Alfred McAlpine, Amec and a Hochtief/Alun Griffiths joint venture.
But insiders claim that the Assembly has failed to update firms hoping to make the shortlist, making it impossible for some contractors to
allocate resources and to plan ahead.
One said: "A letter came out of the blue notifying contractors they had made the final cut. Are they now supposed to magically pull something out of the cupboard after months of silence from the client?"
He warned: "It may even be that some firms will now find it impossible to bid."
Another source said: "We have tried to chase this scheme several times, but got no answer from the Assembly. We were told nothing."
But one bidder claimed: "The sudden notification letter doesn't really present problems for us. We targeted this scheme and waited for it - we knew it was coming, and it didn't matter precisely when."
The scheme first came up for grabs exactly a year ago. It is understood that the delay in drawing up a shortlist was caused by Network Rail initially insisting that its own in-house team should tackle part of the work (the scheme includes new railway bridges) and by "design issues and problems with contract documentation".
No one at the Welsh Assembly was available for comment.
This is not the first time the Assembly has frustrated contractors. Last year its £18m Deeside Park to Drome Corner deal dragged on for nine months, delayed first by the Assembly elections and then by the client having to make further land acquisitions.
Two of the combatants contesting that deal, apart from Balfour Beatty, which eventually won the contract, also appear on the Drome Corner to Ewloe bid list - Alfred McAlpine and Hochtief/Alun Griffiths.
The Drome Corner-Ewloe scheme includes widening 3.5km of the A494, plus a bridge over the River Dee.
The Assembly is expected to name its preferred contractor next spring.