Balfour Beatty, the international infrastructure group, has announced today that its Infrastructure business, part of Balfour Beatty Construction Group in the US has been awarded the I-140 Wilmington Bypass project. This £77 (US $124) million project includes a 7,185-foot-long bridge over the Cape Fear River in North Carolina.
On behalf of the North Carolina Department of Transportation, we will construct around 1.5 miles of a four-lane road in the southeast counties of Brunswick and New Hanover. Included in the construction are ten bridges, six of which are twin bridges. The bridge over the Cape Fear River will span a delicate wetlands area, requiring careful ecological management. The team will access the bridge construction via a temporary work trestle. This will mitigate temporary wetland impacts while providing safe access for the workers.
“The Wilmington Bypass represents further evidence of the improving outlook for our US business,” said Andrew McNaughton, CEO, Balfour Beatty. “This project win perfectly fits our skill set in the US where we have broad experience with these types of jobs and an outstanding record working on projects that require exceptional environmental stewardship and sustainable practices.”
When the project is completed, the bypass is expected to positively impact traffic flow and local economies. Traffic volumes are expected to more than double in the next 20 years (from 39,600 vehicles per day to 80,800 in 2035). The project has broad support from the community and is seen as a vital part of reducing the commute from Brunswick County into the City of Wilmington, as well as reducing overall congestion in the Wilmington area. The 54-month project is scheduled to begin in October 2013 and finish in April 2018 and is part of the Wilmington Bypass, identified in the early 1990s as a critical infrastructure need for south eastern North Carolina.
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Notes to editors:
1. Balfour Beatty (www.balfourbeatty.com) is an international infrastructure group that delivers world class services essential to the development, creation and care of infrastructure assets; from finance and development, through design and project management to construction and maintenance.
Our businesses draw on more than 100 years of experience to deliver the highest levels of quality, safety and technical expertise to our clients principally in the UK, the US, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. We continue to develop our business in key growth markets in South Africa, Australia, Canada, Brazil and India.
With proven expertise in delivering infrastructure critical to support communities and society today and in the future, our key market sectors include transportation (roads, rail and aviation), power and energy, mining, water and social infrastructure such as hospitals and schools.
Balfour Beatty employs 50,000 people around the world.
2. Balfour Beatty Infrastructure, Inc. delivers industry-leading civil engineering and construction expertise for transportation and water infrastructure projects throughout the United States. With approximately 1,000 employees in major operations in California, the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, the Mid-Atlantic and Texas, Balfour Beatty Infrastructure boasts annual revenues of approximately $450 million. An award-winning contractor, Balfour Beatty’s U.S. construction companies were ranked by Engineering News Record as ninth among the Top 400 Contractors, and 13th among the Top 50 Domestic Heavy Contractors. Balfour Beatty Infrastructure is part of Balfour Beatty plc, a global engineering, construction, services and investment business organisation specialising in large infrastructure and building programs.
