Esh Construction and Octavius Infrastructure have been named among eight contractors appointed to the second phase of YORhub’s YORcivil Major Works framework — marking their first inclusion in the programme. Other newcomers joining the framework for its latest iteration include Bam Nuttall and Jackson Civil Engineering. Returning for another term are Aureos Infrastructure Services, Galliford Try Infrastructure, John Graham Construction, and John Sisk & Son. Meanwhile, four fi

The Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT) has launched its new report ‘ Overcoming the barriers to implementing active travel schemes ’ at its annual learned society lecture.  This brand-new research highlights the benefits of active travel (walking, wheeling and cycling), identifies key challenges, and outlines CIHT’s recommendations for unlocking its full potential across health, transport, and planning sectors. Sue Percy CBE, Chief Executive, CIHT sa

Traffic islands in Wolverhampton have been given a makeover as part of works to improve potholes in the region. Resurfacing work has been carried out on the Bilston High Street, Black Country Route and Coseley Road islands, in Bilston, by City of Wolverhampton Council. The cost of the work has been taken from the £2m the council received through West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) for highways improvements, with more roads set to undergo resurfacing work. Council leader S

The High Speed 2 (HS2) rail project was initially pitched as the UK’s answer to modern, efficient transport—a high-speed link connecting London, Birmingham, Manchester, and Leeds. It promised reduced journey times, regional economic growth, and a 21st-century backbone for Britain’s rail network. Yet nearly two decades after its conception, HS2 increasingly resembles a vanity project for politicians , plagued by soaring costs, public criticism, and questionable returns. The Vi

The Thames Tideway Tunnel , often described as London’s “super sewer,” is one of the largest infrastructure projects in Europe. Designed to reduce sewage overflow into the River Thames, the project represents a significant engineering feat, involving a 25-kilometre tunnel running beneath London and connecting numerous wastewater treatment plants. The tunnel, costing over £4 billion, has captured the attention of policymakers, engineers, and environmentalists alike. Yet beyond

Wiltshire Council has added a third Bobcat machine to fix more potholes and repair more roads across the county, further strengthening its commitment to improving road infrastructure Bobcats can remove large areas of damaged road surface in just minutes, which enables the teams on site to then complete the repairs, while the Bobcat moves on to the next site and the next job. This helps to keep disruption to a minimum and also enables the teams to repair more roads. Using a Bo

Wiltshire Police are reminding drivers across the county to make sure their vision is up to standard as part of an ongoing campaign to reduce collisions caused by poor eyesight called "Is Your Eyesight Roadworthy?" Over the past two weeks, officers from the Roads Policing Unit have been carrying out roadside eyesight checks, helping to identify drivers whose vision may fall below the legal requirement.If a driver is unable to read a number plate from 20 metres away in dayligh

A stretch of the A14 was delayed fully opening by nearly five hours due to early-morning queueing traffic, National Highways has said. The westbound carriageway between junctions 51 (for Needham Market) and 52 (for Stowmarket) remained closed until 10.50am on Wednesday. Overnight closures have been in place for this stretch of road since September 15, so that National Highways can carry out reconstruction and repair works to sections of the A14. The overnight closures will be

Campaigners have held a demonstration outside the Department for Transport (DfT) headquarters in London, calling for the publication of reports evaluating the safety and effectiveness of smart motorway schemes. The protest was organised by Claire Mercer , founder of the Smart Motorways Kill campaign, who claims that the DfT is withholding a series of Post Opening Project Evaluation (POPE) reports . These reports are intended to provide data on safety, value for money, and env

In the North East of England, the single carriageway stretch of the A1 in Northumberland has long been a source of concern for local residents, businesses, and politicians. With frequent closures due to accidents and an alarming record of casualties, calls to upgrade the road to a dual carriageway have been made repeatedly over the years. Yet, in 2024, the government officially scrapped plans to dual this “dangerous” road, citing funding constraints and deeming the project “u

Councillors in North East England have renewed calls for the government to reconsider its decision to cancel plans to dual the A1 in Northumberland, a single carriageway described as “dangerous.” The proposal was abandoned in 2024 after the Department for Transport cited funding constraints and deemed the project “unaffordable.” Speaking at a Northumberland County Council meeting on Wednesday, Liberal Democrat councillor Isabel Hunter stressed the urgency of upgrading the r

The Long Stratton bypass is now officially open, relieving persistent traffic congestion in the Norfolk town and preparing the local road network for future development, including the planned 1,800 new homes in the area. The scheme was delivered by Octavius . The £47 million project, designated as priority infrastructure by Norfolk County Council , comprises a 4km single carriageway and includes two new bridges to enhance pedestrian and cycling access into Long Stratton. Jami

Founded in memory of Thomas Samuel Theyer, who passed away aged 18 in 2013, The Thomas Theyer Foundationbecame a registered charity in 2015 with a mission to support children and young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN) or those facing challenging life circumstances — as well as their families and carers. Rooted in Thomas’s own love for exercise and the outdoors — he lived with dyspraxia and ADHD and found solace in physical activity — the Foundation champions the m

Work to upgrade Junction 5 of the M65 in Blackburn is set to begin in January, marking the start of a £30 million investment to boost road capacity and sustainable travel across South East Blackburn. The scheme, part of a wider £100 million transport investment package for the borough, aims to improve traffic flow around Junction 5 and neighbouring routes. Balfour Beatty has been appointed as the main contractor, drawing on its experience delivering major motorway upgrades ac

A £50 million renewable energy facility that will produce sustainable fuel for the UK’s largest infrastructure scheme has been given the green light. Medway Council has approved plans for a major expansion of the Syntech Biofuel plant at Kingsnorth Industrial Estate on the Hoo Peninsula. The development includes a new 1,600 sq/m production building and supporting infrastructure to convert waste cooking oil into advanced “smart biofuel” — a low-carbon alternative to traditiona

A Banbury councillor has criticised Oxfordshire County Council after being told that, on average, local roads are resurfaced once every 103 years. Councillor Andrew Crichton , who represents Banbury Hardwick , has urged the council to resurface Horsham Close , which residents claim has not been resurfaced since it was built in 1983 . The issue was raised at a council meeting on Tuesday, where Councillor Andrew Gant , the Cabinet Member for Transport, responded to Cllr Crichto