A series of claims on the project have taken the two firms to the High Court to resolve how much is owed under the terms of the subcontract.

Galliford Try claims it is owed the sum for costs and losses associated with delays to McGee’s contract to deliver the earthworks, concrete superstructures and post tensioned slabs and beams.

But McGee argues that any successful claim for alleged delays would be limited to just under £1.49m because liability for financial claims for delay and disruption was capped at 10% of the contract value.

The 53-week subcontract was due to complete in February 2014. Galliford Try claims are said to arise directly out of a critical delay of 52 days to the main contract caused by McGee.

In a preliminary hearing McGee won High Court support that the terms of its contract limits the groundwork firm’s potential liability for delays and cost to 10% of contract value.

A Galliford Try spokesman said: “Galliford Try notes the judgement in the High Court regarding the claim brought forward by McGee.

“As a business we are committed to working with our supply chain in a proactive way to avoid this kind of legal dispute wherever possible.”

McGee have not commented on the dispute.