Balfour Beatty announced that it has been awarded a £1.2 billion contract by National Highways to deliver the 'Roads North of the Thames' package of works for the proposed Lower Thames Crossing. The Lower Thames Crossing will create a new connection under the River Thames to increase capacity and ease congestion in the South of England. Balfour Beatty will be responsible for the design and delivery of over 10 miles of new highways, connecting the M25 at Junction 29 and the A13 with the Lower Thames Crossing tunnel at Tilbury, Essex.

In addition, the company will deliver 49 structures including bridges and major viaducts. Balfour Beatty will utilise modular construction techniques to build the structures offsite in a controlled factory environment, significantly reducing carbon emissions by minimising the number of lorry movements and material deliveries to and from site. This approach will support Balfour Beatty's commitment to going Beyond Net Zero Carbon by 2040, as well as National Highways' low carbon targets for the project.

Throughout construction, Balfour Beatty will look to spend £500 million with local businesses and supply chain partners and will set up an 'Operator Skills Hub' to provide innovative training programmes to upskill plant operators and inspire the next generation of talent in the UK. At construction peak, Balfour Beatty will directly employ a workforce of 2,000 including 150 apprenticeship, graduate and trainee positions.