Highways England has awarded a contract to the Balfour Beatty and Carillion joint venture (JV) to upgrade the A14 road between Swavesey and Milton, UK.

Awarded as part of the UK’s wider A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme, the £292m contract requires the 50:50 JV to widen a critical and complex ten-mile stretch of the existing A14 road.

Scheduled to be carried out in a live-traffic environment, work will include the widening of existing road sections between Swavesey to Girton, including the Girton Junction with the M11 Motorway and the Cambridge Northern Bypass.

"The improvements the scheme will deliver will help to relieve congestion on one of the busiest parts of the strategic road network between the Midlands and East Anglia."

In addition, the project will require major junction rebuilds and numerous services diversions.

Balfour Beatty Group CEO Leo Quinn said: "This is a complex project and our joint venture brings proven expertise and experience in working as part of an integrated delivery model, something which is going to be crucial for the successful delivery of this project.

"The improvements the scheme will deliver will help to relieve congestion on one of the busiest parts of the strategic road network between the Midlands and East Anglia, and support national and regional economic growth."

The initial contract for a pre-construction phase is valued at approximately £500,000, while full contract award is subject to statutory approval of the wider A14 improvement scheme.

The Balfour Beatty-Carillion team is said to be the second construction JV to be appointed and work collaboratively with all parties to input to the detailed design and pre-construction planning.

Main construction work under the contract is slated to commence in late 2016 with the new bypass and widened A14 opening to traffic in 2020.

The Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme includes a major new bypass to the south of Huntingdon, widening part of the current A14 between Swavesey and Girton, as well as the A14 Cambridge Northern Bypass, apart from widening a section of the A1 between Brampton and Alconbury and demolition of the A14 viaduct at Huntingdon.

The UK Government has pledged a £1.5m investment to the programme, which is subject to statutory approval.