Balfour Beatty

Balfour Beatty has secured a £104m road contract from Norfolk County Council in the UK to complete works on the Norwich Northern Distributor Road (NNDR).

The NNDR is a 20km dual carriageway from the A47 east of Norwich to the A1067 Norwich to Fakenham Road, north of Taverham.

Work under the contract includes construction of a new 19.6km dual carriageway, including nine new roundabouts, seven new bridges, an underpass and a two level junction.

The new dual carriageway will run from the A1067 Fakenham Road, crossing the A140 at Norwich International Airport and joining the A47 at Postwick, at the eastern end of Norwich Southern Bypass.

"Once it opens, it will immediately take thousands of vehicles a day off unsuitable and congested roads in and around Norwich, bringing relief to communities."

Development consent for the project was received in June, following a six-month public examination last year under nationally significant infrastructure project procedures.

The government announced full approval and the release of national funding last week. Construction on the road will start later this year and be completed in late 2017.

During the construction phase, the project will create more than 500 jobs.

The UK’s Environment, Development and Transport Committee chairman Toby Coke said: "Work, including some initial site clearance, will be starting on site before Christmas, with the main site clearance, archaeology and utility service diversions will be underway in January followed by construction of the road itself beginning around the end of March 2016.

"Construction will then take place along the whole footprint of the scheme and people can look forward to the road opening by the end of 2017 or early 2018.

"Once it opens, it will immediately take thousands of vehicles a day off unsuitable and congested roads in and around Norwich, bringing relief to communities that have for years endured rat-running, and vastly improving access for businesses and residents across the north-east of Norwich, Broadland and North Norfolk."

Balfour Beatty has been working with Norfolk County Council on design development, construction feasibility advice and development of the scheme’s target cost, as part of the early contractor involvement (ECI) phase of the NNDR scheme awarded in 2009.

Balfour Beatty CEO Leo Quinn said: "We have extensive proven experience of major road schemes, from the ECI phase through to concept and construction programme development and a strong relationship with Norfolk County Council having collaborated on this project over the last six and a half years."

Balfour Beatty is also working on Norfolk County Council’s £27m Postwick junction project, which will be connected to the NNDR with the A47 trunk road.

Image: An aerial view of the new Postwick overbridge under construction. Photo: courtesy of Balfour Beatty.