Balfour Beatty has secured a £130 million contract to build a proposed lorry area near the M20 in Kent.

The company was selected by Highways England to develop a facility which can hold 3,600 lorries at capacity, providing relief to the Kent road network when services across the England Channel are disrupted.

The deal covers the development of the proposals during the Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) as well as the projects construction, subject to a decision from the Government.

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It is part of an overall £250m lorry area announced by the Chancellor in Autumn 2015.

Around 150 workers will be employed on the project during peak construction and the project is anticipated to be partially open by the summer of 2017.

Leo Quinn, Balfour Beatty Group Chief Executive, said: "Balfour Beatty's expertise in major infrastructure projects and long standing relationship with Highways England will be crucial for the safe and successful delivery of this project. The M20 lorry area will provide much needed relief to Kent's road networks while supporting local economic growth and development.

(LM/CD)