The regional contracting business secured most gains, helped by novated Rok contracts. Civil Engineering orders were also ahead after taking a major Crossrail contract.

Balfour said that its construction arm has not seen the predicted slowdown in work wins caused by Government spending cuts.

It added that so far this year both revenue and margins were in line with expectations.

In a trading statement, the UK’s biggest contractor said support services work was ahead of last year after several big contract wins.

It has just signed two bundled support services contracts worth £200m.

The wins boosted Balfour’s support services order book and highlight a shift towards larger, multi-activity contracts and bundling together of contracts from more than one local authority.

The first, a combined regional highways maintenance deal across Warwickshire and Coventry, involves full maintenance of the region’s highways and bridges together with street lighting.

Its five-year contract, worth £100m, starts this month and brings the promise of a possible four-year extension conditional to meeting performance targets.

The 25-year Cambridgeshire County Council street lighting PPP project announced last week has a significant element of support services.

The maintenance contract, worth around £100m, is innovative in the way it places emphasis on energy reduction by using the latest technologies.

Kevin Craven, CEO of Balfour Beatty Support Services, said: “We are developing our business to serve the local authority market more effectively.

“Balfour Beatty is well-placed in respect of the changing nature of local authority contracts which favour companies that can offer a broad range of capabilities, thereby providing savings as well as improved services for local government.”