Mick George Ltd provide solid foundations for A14
Local business secures £16 million supply contract for major road improvement scheme
THE A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon road improvement scheme recently marked its first anniversary, with great progress having been made to date along the 21-mile route of the £1.5 billion Highways England scheme.
The A14 Integrated Delivery Team (IDT), which comprises three joint ventures between Costain-Skanska, Balfour Beatty-Carillion and Atkins-CH2M Design, is working on behalf of Highways England to deliver a road that will relieve congestion, reduce accidents, connect communities and decrease journey times.
With the new road on course to open by the end of 2020, the project team is committed to employing local workers and companies wherever possible. To this end, a local based Mick George Ltd have been contracted to complete a significant slice of work on the project.
The company has secured a contract worth more than £16 million for the exclusive supply of concrete for the main highway build. In its entirety, some 300,000 cubic metres of concrete will be supplied over three-and-a-half years from two dedicated on-site plants at Brampton and Ermine Street, with further supplies sourced from Mick George’s existing local facilities.
To date, the concrete supplied has been instrumental in the advancements made to build 34 new bridges and other structures. The first side-road bridge on the A1198 opened to traffic in September 2017, with the Grafham road bridge, which will pass over the A1 and A14, also nearing completion.
Many of the columns and foundations for the remaining bridges are in place, including the 750m river Great Ouse viaduct. This structure alone will require 800 concrete panels, and the manufacturing of panels for the bridge decks is also well under way.
In addition, Mick George have already made significant earthworks, concrete and waste-management provisions at the project’s five site compounds within the Cambridgeshire region, which are critical to the development of the project.
Michael George, contracts director at Mick George Ltd, commented: ‘The A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme is long overdue and we are extremely excited about playing a key role in the scheme’s development and delivery.
‘It is fantastic that Highways England recognizes the strategic benefits of utilizing local suppliers, adding significant value and benefits to the wider local economy and communities.’
