Alfred McAlpine tipped for £16m Welsh road job

Insiders say that a favourite is emerging from the pack for a £16.2m road deal in north Wales.

The word is that Alfred McAlpine is surging ahead in the race for Gwynedd County Council's A499 scheme.

The news means the red light for the three other contractors in the hunt - Balfour Beatty, Costain and local outfit Alun Griffiths.

The job includes constructing 7.1km of new single carriageway road from Llanaelhaearn to Aberdesach. It also features a cyclepath, box culvert bridge and retaining walls.

The road will span an environmentally sensitive area popular with tourists and special measures will be enforced by the council to protect wildlife in the region via a series of small tunnels to enable animals to move around safely.

A start is expected in January 2008, with completion within 18 months.