A contract to widen a 2.8-mile section of the A14 at Kettering, Northamptonshire, has been awarded.

The £42m scheme will cut congestion, make journey times more reliable, improve safety and enable proposed developments to proceed. The scheme will provide an extra lane in each direction within the existing highway boundary between Junction 7 (A43N) and Junction 9 (A509) of the A14 Kettering Bypass.

Joint venture bmJV, consisting of BAM Nuttall and Morgan Sindall, has been awarded the 'Design and Build' contract (£24m), with main construction due to start this autumn.

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Roads Minister Stephen Hammond said: "I welcome the contract award which is an important step towards the Highways Agency starting work on this much-needed scheme.

"This £42 million investment shows the Government is delivering on its promise to invest in transport schemes that reduce congestion, improve safety, and support economic growth."

Mike Hall, Highways Agency project manager, added: "Once completed in 2015, the project will relieve congestion on this major transport route. It will also improve journey time reliability and safety. Over the next few months we will be working with the contractor to finalise detailed design of the scheme and the construction programme."

(CD/JP)