Kier takes on Carillion staff on smart motorway schemes

Around 150 Carillion employees are due to join Kier on smart motorways projects, including a £130m scheme to upgrade the M6 between Crewe and Knutsford, after Kier took over the work from its collapsed joint venture partner.

Kier and Carillion had been working in a joint venture on a series of smart motorways projects across the UK when Carillion entered liquidation last week.

One of the largest of these projects is the £129.5m project to upgrade the M6 between Junction 16 at Crewe and Junction 19 at Knutsford to smart motorway.

Work started on the project in December 2015 and is due to complete in March 2019.

Kier said it had now taken “assumed full responsibility” for the schemes, led by Highways England, and all employees currently working on the projects have been offered the opportunity to join Kier.

The contractor said around 150 employees will be joining it in the next week, including seven apprentices.

“Engagement with the existing supply chain has also taken place, again ensuring continuity of skills, resources, and suppliers,” added Kier in a statement to the City this morning.

Kier was also due to start on a further upgrade of the M6 between Junction 13 and 15 in March 2018 with Carillion, in a £232.3m deal. The contractor will start as planned as the sole contractor on the scheme, which is due to complete in 2022.

The contractor added the smart motorways contracts were “performing well, operationally and financially”.

Kier was also named as one of the winning bidders for civils packages on HS2, alongside Carillion and partner Eiffage in a three-way joint venture.

Kier and Eiffage will now split the joint venture 50/50 following Carillion’s collapse.