Costain picked for M6 smart motorways upgrade

Highways England has chosen Costain for a £150m deal to convert a 10-mile stretch of the M6 between Woolston and Orrell to a smart motorway, covering Junction 21a to 26.

Costain has been picked to design-and-build the upgrade to the stretch of motorway, which is aimed at increasing capacity and journey reliability. Costing £150m, the project is expected to complete in spring 2021.

Throughout the programme Costain will install road-side technology, gantries, and additional infrastructure which the company said would be “focused on improving the driver experience”.

Andrew Wylie, chief executive of Costain, said: “This contract builds on our strong track record, working with Highways England, to apply technology-based solutions to increase the capacity and improve the reliability of the UK’s road infrastructure.”

Costain’s project is the second major smart motorways deal to be announced in the North West in the past week, after Galliford Try was picked to deliver a £67m scheme to upgrade a stretch of the M56 between Hale Barns and the A556.

Galliford Try is due to start next spring and will complete approximately a year later.