A construction company has entered into an Early Contractor Involvement agreement with Gloucestershire County Council.
Cowley-based Galliford Try will design the proposed improvements to junction 10 of the M5, near Cheltenham. The improvements will be funded through the council's successful bid to the government's Housing Infrastructure Fund, administered by Homes England, for £249m.
If planning is approved, the infrastructure project will include a new slip road onto the M5 southbound and another off the M5 northbound to create an "all-movements" signalised junction.
The new junction will provide access in all directions, and is hoped to create housing and employment opportunities at sites proposed for development including west and north-west Cheltenham. The scheme also includes a new link road connecting the A4019 to the B4634 in west Cheltenham and widening of the A4019 Tewkesbury Road.
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Galliford Try's agreement with the council comes on the back of a number of wins for the highways team in the local authority secto, one of the key markets for the business’s Sustainable Growth Strategy.
David Lowery, managing director of Galliford Try’s Highways Business, commented: “We are delighted and honoured to deliver this significantly important major infrastructure project.
“This is a great opportunity to work with Gloucestershire County Council, a customer that is passionate about tackling the climate challenge head on, as well as creating enhanced connectivity between communities, a passion we are very much aligned too.
“This opportunity truly plays to our strengths to work collaboratively in integrated project teams to drive value early in the process and ensure the project delivers on its strategic outcomes.”
Cllr David Gray, Gloucestershire County Council cabinet member for environment and planning, added: “We are delighted to award the design contract to Galliford Try. We are confident that their expertise and experience will ensure the successful delivery of this crucial element of the project. Their approach to health and safety, programme, carbon and social value aspirations demonstrates a strong alignment to the council’s own values and behaviours.”
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