Kier, alongside Balfour Beatty, Costain and Keltbray, has been awarded a £1.3 billion contract by National Highways to design and deliver an upgrade to several sections on the A66 between Penrith and Scotch Corner.

The four contractors will collaboratively deliver the project, which has been procured through National Highways' Regional Delivery Partnership framework. It will see the remaining single carriageway sections of the road dualled and key junctions between M6 junction 40 (Penrith) and the A1 at Scotch Corner improved.

Kier and its team, Tony Gee and Partners, and RPS, will be designing and constructing a new grade separated junction at Kemply Bank, a new five-mile dual carriageway constructed to the north of the existing A66 and improvements to junction 40 of the M6.

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The A66 is a key route for east/west journeys in the north of England providing vital connections for travel across the UK. The route carries high levels of freight, with 25% of the traffic being heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) compared to the national average figure of 12%. The A66 is also an important route for tourism, providing access to the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District National Park.

Richard French, Kier Highways regional director, said: This is a significant occasion for all those involved with the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine scheme. Kier Highways, along with the enterprise delivery partners and client are committed to delivering sustainable infrastructure and this major investment will be vital for the economy. We look forward to utilising our combined expertise to deliver a project that harnesses innovation and minimises our impacts on the surrounding natural environment.

"We will aim to deliver this strategic highway improvement work to the highest standards with safety, environment and customers at the heart of everything we do."