Balfour Beatty has been named as the preferred bidder to build an extension of the Midland Metro through Birmingham city centre.
Centro, the region’s transport authority, has appointed Balfour Beatty to develop a ‘best and final offer’ for the exciting project which will see trams run along some of the city’s best known streets.
Over the next few months Balfour Beatty will be working with Centro’s project team and key stakeholders to finalise the design and construction proposals.
The extension will provide a ‘fast link between Birmingham’s two major rail stations and deliver more than 3.5 million passengers a year’ right into the heart of the city’s shopping district.
It is one element of a wider £127 million project that will see a fleet of 20 new trams for the Midland Metro system, which runs between Birmingham and Wolverhampton.
Centro chief executive Geoff Inskip said:
“This is a prestigious project in the heart of Birmingham and it demands a construction partner of exactly the pedigree and calibre of Balfour Beatty.
“We worked with Balfour Beatty last year when they built the Metro bridge for us over Great Charles Street. That was a clear demonstration of their proven track record in delivering projects on budget and on time.”
The extension is scheduled for completion in 2015 with major work starting on street in early 2013.
Perhaps CENTRO could be contracted to sort out the Edinburgh Trams fiasco.