National Highways has announced MORE joint venture as its preferred bidder for $1.57bn contract for the tunnel and main construction work for the A303 Amesbury to Berwick Down project past Stonehenge in the UK.

MORE JV consists of FCC Construcción, Webuild and BeMo Tunnelling.

The JV has enlisted Jacobs, Atkins and SENER to serve as the design consortium.

This proposed upgrade of the A303 between Amesbury and Berwick Down includes eight miles of dual carriageway; a tunnel at least two miles long underneath the world heritage site, closely following the current A303 route, but a further 50 meters away from the Stonehenge monument; a new bypass to the north of the village of Winterbourne Stoke; junctions with the A345 and A360 either side of the heritage site.

The planning application for this scheme is still pending redetermination by the UK Secretary of State for Transport, after the decision to give the Development Consent Order was quashed.

Meanwhile, in order to ensure programme timescales are met, National Highways has chosen MORE JV as its preferred contractor.

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This announcement comes after a procurement process that required shortlisted tenderers to develop their design solutions and show these as compliant with the requirements of National Highways.

The main works contract involves building the proposed tunnel’s civil, structural, mechanical, electrical and technology aspects, along with the approach roadworks and structures and the environmental aspects of the five-year construction phase.

National Highways project director for the A303 Stonehenge scheme Derek Parody said: “The contract will only become live once the Secretary of State has concluded the planning process.

“The announcement of a preferred bidder in no way pre-empts any decision, and once that is finalised, and should the Development Consent Order be granted, having a contractor in place will put us in the strongest possible position to deliver this transformational scheme and deliver the benefits we know it can.”

He continued, “The scheme will not only unlock congestion along this vital A303 route, but also conserve and enhance the Outstanding Universal Value of the World Heritage Site, and the joint venture will bring world class expertise to the construction of the tunnel and the roads. We’re pleased we have now identified our contractors, they are internationally renowned and they will also be making best use of considerable U.K. skills by using a range of local, regional and national suppliers and contractors to help them deliver the scheme.”

In a statement, the MORE joint venture said: “For the companies that are part of the MORE JV – Webuild, FCC Construcción, and BeMo Tunnelling – this project is a clear example of the development of sustainable, innovative infrastructures that not only provide traffic solutions but also improve people’s quality of life.

“It is also an opportunity to demonstrate the experience and international technical capacity of the companies of the MORE joint venture.”

In 2020, the contracts for archaeology and enabling preliminary works were announced as part of the total $2.1bn capital cost of the scheme.

Wessex Archaeology was awarded the $44m archaeological mitigation contract, Octavius Infrastructure was awarded the $10m preliminary works contract through the Collaborative Delivery Framework.

National Highways is also finalising the process of awarding a Delivery Assurance Partner Contract, which carries value of up to $75,000 (£60m), in due course.

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Image: An illustration of how the tunnel will be built under the World Heritage Site, further away from the Stonehenge monument. Credit: National Highways via Jacobs.