Balfour starts work on first Government stimulus road job

Balfour Beatty today got the go-ahead to start work on the £400m dualling of the A46, brought forward to boost the economy.

The scheme to dual a 17-mile stretch of single carriageway road between Newark and Widmerpool will create 500 construction jobs. So far it is the only major project to emerge from the Government's high-profile £3bn economic stimulus package, unveiled last November at the height of the credit crunch.

The project, which started life as an Early Contractor Involvement scheme, is being started three years earlier than planned with the opening of the dual carriageway brought forward to 2012.

Transport minister Chris Mole said: “The Department for Transport’s offer in November last year to contribute £174m of additional funding to the Region for the scheme – half the estimated future cost - has allowed construction to be accelerated.

"This will bring a huge boost to the economy and construction industry."

The Highways Agency is delivering £400 million capital spending during 2009-10 which has been brought forward as part of the Government’s fiscal stimulus measures to boost the economy. Up to £100 million of this has been allocated to accelerate the A46 Newark to Widmerpool scheme.