ASC will deliver detailed design for 80km of infrastructure in the central section of the London to Birmingham leg of the HS2 project.
For Arcadis, at least, the contract agreed with EKFB – a consortium of Eiffage, Kier, Ferrovial Construction and BAM Nuttall – is one of the largest that it has ever signed in the UK.
ASC began scheme design back in 2017 as part of the early contractor involvement stage of design.
Paul McCormick, HS2 project director at Arcadis, said: “After months of hard work it’s great to see we now have the contract in place to push forward into the next phase of this exciting project. It’s a tremendous opportunity for Arcadis and all our team to leave a lasting legacy we can all be proud of. We have built an excellent relationship with EKFB and HS2 and the completion and agreement of the contract gives us a great platform to move forward.”
Cowi UK managing director Andy Sloan said: “We have worked on the project for over two years through development of scheme design and more recently detailed design and now that we've reached this important milestone, I can't wait to see the project take shape as construction of our designs begins. It’s a fantastic opportunity to be part of such a great joint venture that allows us to utilise our expertise from across the business.”
Setec International chief executive Thibaut Lépingle said: “Historically, Setec Group has always been involved in major infrastructure projects making the dream of ‘precursive’ engineering a reality with projects such as the Channel Tunnel which brought Great Britain and Europe closer together or building one of the most remarkable viaducts in the world, the Millau Viaduct, with architect Norman Foster and Eiffage Group. Setec now has a fantastic challenge participating in the design team of the most important European infrastructure project of the decade. Our team is enthusiastic to continue the adventure which began three years ago. As a part of the team, we deeply feel what Henry Ford said: ‘Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.’”
Of the seven main companies involved in design and construction of the HS2 central section, only one – Kier – is British. Eiffage is French, Ferrovial is Spanish, BAM Nuttall is Dutch, Arcadis is also Dutch, Setec is French and Cowi is Danish. The fact that they offices in the UK, however, enables client organisation HS2 Ltd to assert that 98% of the companies working on HS2 are ‘based in the UK’.
Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk
