National Highways admits 2026 has been a difficult year for the M5 as MPs, businesses and motorists demand action over repeated closures that have brought one of the South West's busiest transport corridors to a standstill. Growing frustration over repeated closures of the M5 has prompted renewed calls for a national review into how major motorway incidents are managed, with National Highways acknowledging that the route has endured an exceptionally challenging year. The moto

Fifteen giant steel girders have been installed in a carefully choreographed operation at the Black Cat junction, bringing one of England's largest highways upgrades a step closer to completion. Construction of the new Black Cat flyover has entered a significant new phase after Skanska completed the installation of the main structural steelwork that will carry traffic over the upgraded junction on the £1 billion A428 improvement scheme. The operation saw 15 steel bridge girde

Ground Control and Inspire (Structures) have secured specialist contracts to inspect bridges, tunnels and other critical railway assets, supporting the safe operation of infrastructure across the Wales and Western network. Network Rail has confirmed the first contract awards under its Wales and Western Civils Examination Framework Agreement (CEFA), appointing Ground Control and Inspire (Structures) to deliver more than £4.1 million of structural inspection services. The appoi

ScottishPower has appointed M Group to overhaul more than 70km of ageing overhead power lines between Glasgow and Edinburgh as part of a multi-billion-pound programme to futureproof Britain's electricity network. M Group has secured a £110 million contract to modernise one of Scotland's most strategically important electricity transmission routes, reinforcing the network that supplies power between Glasgow and Edinburgh. Awarded by ScottishPower, the project will see the comp

Oxfordshire County Council has turned to the Government's £1bn Structures Fund in a bid to restore full access to one of Oxford's busiest Thames crossings, after two years of restrictions disrupted buses, freight and commuters. A key bridge on Oxford's inner ring road could be restored to full capacity after Oxfordshire County Council submitted a funding bid to overhaul the ageing structure. The authority is seeking £8 million from the Government's Structures Fund to strength

Engineering consultancy to provide technical expertise across Yorkshire Water's next generation of infrastructure projects after securing a place on the utility's £80m consultancy framework. Egis has been selected to support the delivery of Yorkshire Water's extensive AMP8 capital investment programme after winning a place on the utility's new Technical Services and Assurance Framework. The appointment sees the consultancy join the roster of engineering specialists that will

Rapid deployment of SAFETYcam technology halted further incursions after a series of dangerous breaches into a live motorway closure, underlining the growing role of real-time monitoring in protecting frontline highway teams. A series of vehicle incursions into roadworks on the M1 has highlighted the continuing dangers faced by highway workers, after eight separate breaches of a motorway closure were recorded within just two hours. The incidents occurred during planned works

By Kevin Robinson In an industry often criticised for operating in silos, the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between National Highways and Network Rail may not, at first glance, appear to be headline-grabbing news. Memorandums are, after all, common across government and public bodies. They rarely attract widespread attention and are often viewed as symbolic rather than transformational. This agreement, however, feels different. Not because it creates new powe

Main contractors could face substantial fines for immigration breaches committed by subcontractors under sweeping new right-to-work rules due to take effect this autumn, prompting legal experts to urge firms to review labour supply chains now. Construction businesses are being urged to tighten oversight of their labour supply chains after the Government unveiled plans that could make principal contractors responsible for illegal workers employed several tiers below them. The

Eleven contractors have secured places on a new long-term construction framework that will support everything from station improvements and power infrastructure to civil engineering and specialist rail projects across the Merseyrail network. Merseyrail has assembled a new panel of construction partners to deliver future infrastructure investment across its railway, creating a flexible framework that will support projects for up to seven years. The agreement establishes a pre-

Transport for Wales credits education programme reaching 50,000 young people with driving significant behavioural change as electrified South Wales Metro network enters a new era of operation. A rail safety campaign aimed at young people has contributed to a 23% reduction in trespass incidents across Transport for Wales' South Wales Metro network, according to the operator. The milestone comes as the No Second Chances initiative celebrates reaching 50,000 schoolchildren, with

Arup secures flagship strategic design role as leading engineering consultancies win places on multi-supplier framework supporting major water resilience, treatment and infrastructure projects across Yorkshire. Yorkshire Water has unveiled the consultancy partners that will help deliver its ambitious AMP8 investment programme, awarding places on a new £80 million technical consultancy and design framework running through to 2030. The framework will provide the utility with sp

Joint strategy with BCP Council aims to transform public transport across the region, strengthen rural connectivity and unlock further government investment through to 2041. Dorset Council has approved an ambitious long-term transport strategy designed to improve bus services, strengthen links between communities and position the region for future government investment. The new Local Transport Plan, developed jointly with neighbouring Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP)

Engineering consultancy strengthens its environmental portfolio after securing a place across every discipline of the Environment Agency’s new groundwater modelling framework, supporting flood resilience and water management projects nationwide. WSP has secured a clean sweep of appointments to the Environment Agency’s new National Groundwater Modelling Framework, winning places on all three specialist lots. The consultancy will provide expertise across regional groundwater mo

More than 900 railway employees across Network Rail Anglia, c2c and Greater Anglia have received specialist Samaritans training to help them recognise distress, approach vulnerable people and begin conversations that could save lives. Railway teams across Anglia are backing Samaritans’ annual 24/7 Awareness Day, highlighting the vital role frontline staff can play in supporting people experiencing emotional distress or suicidal thoughts. The charity operates around the clock,

Surplus materials and volunteer support from National Highways and its supply chain have transformed the grounds of a new Corby veterans’ centre into a welcoming space for reflection, connection and wellbeing. Materials donated by the team behind the recently completed A14 Nene Viaduct maintenance scheme have helped create a new therapeutic garden for veterans and their families in Northamptonshire. National Highways and its delivery partners supplied 250 sandbags, five tonne