LONDON (ShareCast) - Infrastructure group Balfour Beatty has won a £184m contract to upgrade a 17-mile stretch of the M60 and M62 motorways around Manchester.

The 'smart motorway' upgrade, for the Highways Agency, is expected to increase capacity, reduce congestion and shorten journey times for motorists along the Manchester Orbital Route.

Some 1,000 construction workers will be employed at the peak of the contract and Balfour will lead delivery of the scheme with three other partners: Costain, Carillion and a joint venture between BAM Nuttall and Morgan Sindall.

"The collaboration agreement will reduce individual contractor risk and encourage knowledge sharing and best practice," Balfour said.

Construction is expected to begin in July and will be completed in the autumn of 2017.

"This scheme will benefit the 180,000 road users that pass through this section of the motorway network every day. We are committed to lead this project in a collaborative way with our partners, employing local people and businesses in our supply chain," said Balfour's Chairman Steve Marshall.

BC

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