Government Appears to Leave Door Open to Gigawatt-Scale Nuclear at Wylfa
The UK’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero released a business case that confirms three 470 MW Rolls‑Royce SMRs at Wylfa while explicitly preserving the option for a gigawatt‑scale nuclear plant. The language creates ambiguity about whether the government will expand beyond the five optional SMRs. The United States, through its ambassador and embassy, has urged a larger build to quickly lower energy costs and strengthen transatlantic ties. Local MP Llinos Medi supports delivering the SMRs and keeping the site’s full potential alive.
Proposed Scottish Nuclear Study Unlikely to Be Published Before Election
The UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has tasked Great British Energy – Nuclear with a £80,000 (≈$100,000) feasibility study to locate new nuclear sites, including SMRs and AMRs, at existing Scottish facilities such as Torness and Hunterston. The study...
Overwhelming Public Support for Restoration of Key Scottish Rail Links
A poll of 1,303 adults in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire shows strong public backing for reinstating rail services to Ellon, Peterhead and Fraserburgh, with 78% supporting the Ellon‑Peterhead line and 76% favoring Fraserburgh. The survey, commissioned by the Aberdeen & Grampian...
Transport Secretary Pothole Incident: ‘Thankfully It Was only the Car Damaged’, Says AIA
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander’s Mini Cooper was damaged after striking a pothole on the B4437 near Burford, Oxfordshire. The Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) used the incident to underline a nationwide pothole crisis, citing its ALARM survey which puts the repair...
Why Devolution Is Critical to Delivering the Integrated National Transport Strategy
The UK government released the Better Connected strategy, an Integrated National Transport Strategy (INTS) that sets a unified vision for accessibility, safety, sustainability and user experience. The paper stresses that the strategy’s success hinges on devolution, which transfers funding and...
Kier Awarded ‘Significant Contract’ to Build Main Entrance to Sizewell C Nuclear Power Plant
Kier has been awarded a contract to build the North Plaza, a 15‑hectare gateway that will serve as the main entrance to the Sizewell C nuclear power station in Suffolk. The development will host bus interchanges, a deliveries hub and security...
Bidding for £1bn Structures Fund Opens to Local Authorities
The UK government has opened applications for a £1 bn (≈$1.25 bn) Structures Fund aimed at repairing deteriorating bridges, flyovers and tunnels that local authorities cannot fund alone. The fund is part of a £24 bn (≈$30 bn) road and rail maintenance package announced...
Cumberland Council’s £75M Highways Project
Cumberland Council has launched a £75 million (≈ $96 million) framework for core highway surfacing work scheduled from April 2027 to March 2031, with a possible six‑year extension to 2033. The single‑supplier contract will cover inlay, overlay, full or partial reconstruction, road‑marking replacement and traffic‑management...
RWE to Provide 65% of Network Rail’s Non-Traction Electricity From Wind Farm
Network Rail has signed a corporate power purchase agreement with German energy firm RWE to source 65% of its non‑traction electricity from the 576 MW Gwynt y Môr offshore wind farm in Wales. The deal will deliver 300 GWh of renewable power annually for...
Great British Railways HQ Shortlisted to Two Derby Locations
Great British Railways (GBR) has narrowed its headquarters search to two Derby sites – the brownfield Becketwell redevelopment and the existing Midland House railway building. Derby was selected in 2023 for its rail heritage, central location and existing industry presence....
Costain Upgrades 1625km of Gas Pipeline in Five Years
Infrastructure firm Costain has completed its five‑year Contract Management Organisation agreement with Cadent, delivering 1,625 km of upgraded gas mains across the East of England. The work involved more than 230,000 reinstated excavations, 160,000 m³ of backfill, and provided new gas supplies...
Call for Public Inquiry Into Handling of Raac Crisis
A petition presented to Parliament is demanding a public inquiry into the 2023 reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) crisis and urging new legislation for a high‑risk building register, mandatory defect reporting, and a 60‑year developer liability period. The Department for...
Will a Ban on Retentions Deliver the Anticipated Benefits for SMEs?
Retention payments of 3‑5% have become standard in UK construction, acting as a cash‑based guarantee against defects. The government now favors an outright ban on retentions, aiming to ease cash‑flow pressures on SMEs and curb insolvency risk. Critics warn that...
EDF and JCB Back Charter to Protect 250,000 Women with Inclusive PPE
EDF, JCB, BAE Systems and Bylor have signed the GMB Fit For All charter committing to inclusive personal protective equipment (PPE) for construction workers. The pledge follows a GMB survey showing 70% of women on sites wear ill‑fitting gear and aligns with...
Kier, Bam Nuttall, VolkerStevin and Taylor Woodrow Avoided Nearly £100M of Project Costs After Training Scheme
Four leading UK construction firms—Kier, Bam Nuttall, VolkerStevin and Taylor Woodrow—joined the Get It Right Initiative’s Productivity Training Commission in 2024, backed by £360,000 (≈$447,000) of CITB funding. Over 26 months they trained 4,575 delegates across 25 projects, using behavioural...
VolkerFitzpatrick Celebrates Return of Passenger Services in Birmingham After 80 Years
VolkerFitzpatrick completed three new stations—Moseley Village, Kings Heath and Pineapple Road—on Birmingham's Camp Hill line, restoring passenger service after an 80‑year hiatus. The £185 million (£34 million after contract amendment, approx. $235 M/$43 M USD) project opened on 7 April, delivering modern six‑car platforms, lifts...
Decision Due on Where to Start Deep Borehole Investigations for Nuclear Waste Facility
The UK government has formally appointed Nuclear Waste Services CEO Seth Kybird as the senior responsible owner (SRO) for the Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) programme, tasking him with a decision on deep‑borehole investigation sites by Q4 2025/26. The letter outlines a...
‘Detailed Inspections’ Reveal £550k of ‘Urgent Works’ Needed to Repair Yorkshire Bridge
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) says Bridge 42, the critical link between Grosmont and Whitby, needs urgent repairs costing roughly $1 million (about £800,000). An initial £250,000 (£200,000) propping phase, now about $318,000, has been partially funded, with $273,000 already secured....
UKAEA Timeline to Realise ‘Limitless’ Energy to Power UK Grid
The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) unveiled a 2024‑2030 strategy aimed at delivering a commercially viable fusion power plant, STEP, with a March 2029 deadline for the development consent order. The government has earmarked over £10 bn (≈$12.5 bn) for the project and...
An End to Self-Reporting Is Imminent: Is This Water’s ‘Smart Meter Moment’?
The UK government is set to end self‑reporting for water quality, requiring continuous automated monitoring and public data access. This regulatory shift mirrors the energy sector’s smart‑meter transformation, promising a unified, real‑time view of the water network. Providers will need...
Latest HS2 Land Disposal Expected to Begin This Year
The UK Department for Transport has appointed Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) as the delivery agent to manage the disposal of land and properties acquired for the cancelled HS2 Phase 2b eastern leg. The programme, covering more than 550 properties, will launch...
Rolls-Royce SMR Secures Wylfa Contract and £599M Government Loan
Rolls‑Royce SMR has secured a commercial contract with Great British Energy‑Nuclear to lead the technology design for three 470 MW small modular reactors at the Wylfa site in North Wales. The UK government has also pledged a loan of up to...
East West Rail Releases Route-Wide Final Consultation Plan
East West Rail (EWR) has opened an eight‑week, route‑wide public consultation covering the Oxford‑Cambridge corridor, despite the Planning and Infrastructure Act removing the statutory requirement. The consultation, running from 14 April to 9 June, includes 12 in‑person events and online webinars to...
MOD Admits £6.1bn AWE Accounting Error ‘Shouldn’t Have Happened’
The UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) has admitted a £6.1 billion (≈$7.6 billion) accounting error tied to the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE), the body that builds and dismantles the nation’s nuclear warheads. The National Audit Office flagged the mis‑classification of historic AWE...
£46M Littleborough Flood Risk Management Scheme Restarts After Winter Pause
The £46 million (≈$59 million) Littleborough Flood Risk Management Scheme has resumed work after a winter pause, aiming to bolster flood defenses for homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure across Greater Manchester. The joint venture between the Environment Agency and Rochdale Council includes...
£100M Maintenance Framework Awarded for Kent Highways
Kent County Council has awarded a £100 million (~$125 million) highways maintenance framework split into six lots, each worth roughly £16.6 million (~$20.8 million). The contracts run for three years from 8 April 2026 to 7 April 2029, with an optional two‑year extension to 2031. The framework covers...
Is the Rail Sector Ready for Smarter Earthwork Monitoring?
Rail operators face mounting risk as climate‑driven landslips threaten aging earthwork assets, highlighted by the 2025 Shap derailment. Network Rail oversees roughly 190,000 embankments and cuttings, many built over two centuries ago, and still relies largely on visual inspections. A...
£3.7bn Mega-Project Cancelled: Artificial Lake, Dam and Winter Sports Resort in Saudi Arabia Scrapped
Neom terminated its $4.7 billion contract with Italian builder Webuild for a 2.8‑km artificial lake and three dams at the Trojena resort, after roughly 30% of the work was completed. The termination, effective March 29 2026, leaves Webuild with an estimated €2.8 billion (£2.08 billion)...
Network Rail to Restore Two Brunel-Designed Historic Landmarks
Network Rail will commence restoration of two Grade II listed Brunel structures – the Sydney Gardens footbridge in Bath and the eastern portal of Box Tunnel near Corsham – later this month. The footbridge, the last cast‑iron bridge on the Great...
North East Water Infrastructure Project Sees Completion of £92.5M First Phase
Northumbrian Water completed Phase 1 of its £92.5 million (≈ $117 million) water‑pipeline project in the North East, installing over 30 km of new pipe between Lartington treatment works and reservoirs at Whorley and Shildon. The phase involved 15 road crossings—including a tunnel under the...
Highways Maintenance Doesn’t Fail because People Don’t Care. It Fails because They Can’t See
Highways authorities in England are grappling with a massive pothole backlog—1.9 million potholes were filled in 2023‑24, representing a £16.81 bn (~$21 bn) repair cost. While agencies have multiple specialized systems, data remains siloed, forcing manual reconciliation and slowing response to incidents. Causeway...
DESNZ Launches Pilot for Non-Pipeline Carbon Capture Transport
The UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has launched the Non‑Pipeline Transport (NPT) Pathfinder, a pilot to test road, rail and ship CO₂ transport alongside existing pipelines. The initiative follows the December 2024 contracts for the Teesside carbon...
Upgrades Needed on ‘Very Busy’ Section of Cambridgeshire Rail Line
Network Rail will renew nearly 1 km of track, replace six sets of points, and upgrade old sleepers and ballast around Ely station in Cambridgeshire. The work starts on 25 April and is spread over eight weekends through June 2026 to minimise...
Historic England Backs Crystal Palace National Sports Centre Redevelopment
Historic England has approved the redevelopment of the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, a grade II* listed post‑war modernist complex in south London. Morgan Sindall will deliver a design‑build scheme that adds a six‑court padel hub, 3×3 basketball courts, five‑a‑side...
New Section of Southsea Coast Opens After ‘Months of Meticulous Engineering’
VSBW, a VolkerStevin‑Boskalis joint venture, opened the latest phase of the Southsea Coastal Scheme, the UK’s largest local‑authority flood‑defence project at £185 million (≈$237 million). The new 4.5‑km stretch between the Blue Reef Aquarium and Hovertravel terminal features 1‑in‑200‑year protection, an 8 m...
Kier Inducts 100-Strong Team for Norfolk Highways and Infrastructure Works
Construction firm Kier has begun work on a £700 million (≈$875 million) contract with Norfolk County Council to maintain and improve nearly 10,000 km of roads over up to 14 years. The agreement brings 100 former council contractor staff into Kier under TUPE,...
Engineers Publish Manifesto Calling for Welsh Infrastructure Reform
The Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) launched its Delivering Infrastructure 2050 manifesto on 8 April, outlining a comprehensive set of reforms for Welsh infrastructure planning and delivery. The 16‑page document urges early engagement of engineers and consultants, overhauls public procurement...
Podcast | Restoring a 200-Year-Old Suspension Bridge with VolkerLaser
The Engineers Collective podcast featured VolkerLaser senior project manager Lee Jackson discussing the restoration of Whorlton Bridge, a nearly 200‑year‑old Grade II listed suspension bridge over the River Tees that has been closed since 2019. VolkerLaser dismantled the structure into thousands...
£56M Infrastructure Programme Launched Across Cumbria’s Electricity Network
SP Electricity North West has launched a £56 million (≈$71 million) infrastructure programme to replace a 47 km stretch of overhead lines on Cumbria’s West Coast. Phase one will replace 152 pylons on the 132 kV Cumbria Ring, boosting capacity and supporting rising electricity...
£3.5bn Government Contracts Awarded for Global Infrastructure Projects but Supplier Names Withheld
The UK Government Commercial Agency awarded £3.5 billion (≈ $4.4 billion) of contracts across eleven lots covering defence, nuclear, infrastructure and flood‑risk services. One supplier per lot was selected, but names are hidden under Section 94 of the Procurement Act 2023 for national‑security reasons. The...
Industrialise Small Modular Reactor Delivery to Help Unlock a Nuclear Golden Age
The UK is positioning itself as a nuclear pioneer by industrialising the delivery of small modular reactors (SMRs), with Wylfa on Anglesey slated as the first site for a fleet of repeatable reactors. Recent milestones include fresh funding for Sizewell C...
Government Has Broken Promise over BNG for NSIPs Timeline, Says Sector Body
The Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) Federation has warned that the UK government has left the nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs) sector in a regulatory vacuum. Although mandatory BNG for NSIPs was slated to start next month, no consultation response or...
Engineers Complete Easter Weekend Rail Upgrades Hours Ahead of Schedule
Network Rail engineers completed a major Easter‑weekend upgrade on the East Somerset Junction, replacing 1.4 km of track, 1,080 sleepers and 3,300 t of ballast. The work, which began on 3 April, finished a few hours ahead of schedule, allowing services to resume...
Hunterston B Becomes First AGR Power Station to Transfer to Government Ownership
Hunterston B in North Ayrshire has become the first advanced gas‑cooled reactor to transfer from EDF to UK Government ownership, moving under the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority on 1 April. The site was defuelled by April 2025 using the Nuclear Liabilities Fund, and 246...
£15M Works at University of Wales Trinity Saint David and Pembrokeshire College
An open framework agreement valued at £15 million (excluding VAT) has been issued for the University of Wales Trinity Saint David Group and Pembrokeshire College. The eight‑year contract, running from May 2026 to April 2034, is split into seven lots covering project management, cost...
NY Highways Names Suppliers for £25M Framework Contract
NY Highways has awarded a £25 million (excluding VAT) framework contract for civil engineering works across its network, split into two spend‑based lots. Fourteen suppliers secured Lot 1 (up to £100 k) and ten suppliers won Lot 2 (above £100 k), with several firms appearing...
Listening to Bridges Before They Speak: Inside the World of Structural Health Monitoring
Bridges are dynamic structures whose vibrations reveal early signs of fatigue and damage. Combining Weigh‑In‑Motion (WIM) sensors that record vehicle loads with Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) accelerometers that capture the bridge’s response creates a continuous, data‑driven picture of infrastructure health....
DP World Issuing £36M Contract to Construct London Gateway Automated System
DP World has launched a £36 million (≈$46 million) tender to build Boxbay, a high‑bay automated storage system for empty containers at its London Gateway terminal. The 55‑metre‑tall structure will cover roughly 323 m × 159 m, requiring over 5,000 precast piles, 15,000 tonnes of steel and...
Network Rail Engineers Prepare for £75.5M of Easter Weekend Renewals Work
Network Rail is allocating roughly $96 million to conduct extensive renewal work over the Easter bank holiday, keeping most of the UK rail network open while targeting reliability improvements. The centerpiece is a $508 million resilience programme on the West Coast Main...
Ireland Must Accelerate Offshore Energy Production
Ireland aims for up to 37 GW of offshore renewable capacity by 2050, relying heavily on floating wind in its deep Atlantic waters. The government’s climate and industrial strategies earmark billions of euros—roughly $327 billion—in the National Development Plan, but current port...