Bilfinger Berger team beats Balfour to £200m M80 PPP

The Highways Management consortium has accelerated past Balfour Beatty to surface as preferred bidder for an estimated £200m PPP deal to upgrade the M80 in Scotland.

The group comprises Bilfinger Berger and Ulster outfits Graham and Farrans.

A third bidder - Sir Robert McAlpine/Morrison - pulled out of the race earlier this year.

Ainslie McLaughlin, Transport Scotland's director of major transport infrastructure projects, said: "Contract details and finance issues will be finalised over the coming weeks. But the final cost of the scheme won't be known until negotiations have been concluded."

Work on site is expected to begin later this year, with the road due to open in 2011.

The project will complete the missing gap between Stirling and Glasgow - the M80 is one of Scotland's most heavily used routes.

The job includes upgrading 10km of the existing A80, constructing 8km of new two-lane motorway between Stepps and Mollinsburn, plus climbing lanes.

The concession will run for 30 years.