WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff and Arup have been selected to carry out investigative studies on improving road links in Northern England.
The consultants will investigate options to improve east to west links between the M6 in Cumbria and the A1 Motorway in the North East.
The firms will also look into possible transport improvements on the M60 and M62 between Trafford and Bury.
WSP has been awarded £500,000 to examine the possibility of turning the A66 or A69, or both roads, into dual carriageways as well as making other improvements along their length.
It will lead a joint venture of companies, including Halcrow, TRL and Steer Davies Gleave.
In addition, Arup has been awarded a contract worth over £1m to examine how the transport network to the northwest of Manchester could be improved, including the M60 from junctions 8 to 18 and the M62 from junctions 9 to 12. The study will examine both road and public transport improvements.
The studies are part of the government's Road Investment Strategy commissioned by the Department for Transport and Transport for the North (TfN).
Nigel Edwards, Divisional Director of Strategic Planning at Highways England, said: "These two studies could lead to major benefits across the North and I'm pleased we've now reached the stage where we can appoint specialist companies to start this process.
"A new dual carriageway, providing a direct link between Cumbria and the North East, would mean businesses would no longer have to rely solely on the M62 to travel quickly between the two regions.
"We're already creating a smart motorway on the busiest stretch of the M60 in Greater Manchester, but the new strategic study will look at what else can be done to alleviate congestion in this part of the region."
In total, seven studies are taking place across England, including three in the North. The third will assess the viability of a trans-Pennine tunnel.
The three studies are due to be completed by the end of 2016.
(LM/MH)
Construction News
16/09/2015
WSP And Arup To Investigate Road Link Improvements

30/06/2025
Places for London, Transport for London's wholly owned property company, has announced Ballymore as its joint venture partner for the transformation of the Limmo Peninsula in east London.
The partnership will see the creation of around 1,400 new homes, spanning affordable, market, and rental tenur

30/06/2025
Balfour Beatty, in partnership with Laing O'Rourke and Bouygues Travaux Publics, has officially signed the Programme Alliance Agreement with Sizewell C to deliver the main civil works at the UK's next nuclear power station.
The three companies will operate as the Sizewell C Civil Works Alliance (CW

30/06/2025
Morgan Sindall Construction and Southampton City Council have officially broken ground on the £36 million transformation of the city's historic Outdoor Sports Centre, marking a major milestone in one of the region's most ambitious regeneration projects.
A ceremonial event to celebrate the start of

30/06/2025
Doncaster Council has officially received a new collection of affordable homes at the Nutwell Grange development in Armthorpe, as part of a housing partnership with housebuilder Persimmon.
Deputy Mayor Glyn Jones and Councillor Majid Khan visited the site this week to mark the handover of eleven on

30/06/2025
Winvic Construction Ltd has announced the shortlisting of seven awards at this year's prestigious 'Inspiring Women in Construction and Engineering Awards' (IWCE).
The shortlist celebrates both individual excellence and Winvic's company-wide commitment to advancing equity and inclusion in the built

30/06/2025
Alder Hey Children's Hospital and construction partner Morgan Sindall are celebrating a significant milestone in the development of a new facility that promises to transform care for children and young people.
The structure of the new building, which will house a state-of-the-art surgical neonatal

30/06/2025
Henry Boot PLC has announced that its land promotion and planning arm, Hallam Land Management, has completed the sale of a freehold site in Yalding, Kent, to housebuilder Fernham Homes.
The site has full planning permission for 112 residential units.
The sale has generated an ungeared internal ra

30/06/2025
A St Mungo's care home in Islington for people affected by homelessness has reopened its doors after a transformative refurbishment delivered by volunteers from delivery consultants and construction specialists Mace.
The six-week project, led by 46 Mace volunteers, saw the complete redesign and re-

30/06/2025
Galliford Try has marked a key construction milestone at its flagship project, The Rise, with a topping out ceremony celebrating the completion of the building’s structure at Guildford Crescent in the heart of Cardiff.
Once completed, The Rise will become Cardiff's tallest building, delivering 272

30/06/2025
Thousands more young people in the North East will be trained for careers in the fast-growing green energy sector thanks to an £8.48 million investment approved by North East Mayor Kim McGuinness and her Cabinet.
The funding will support the expansion of Newcastle College's Energy Academy in Wallse