Under the contract worth around £150m Costain will design and deliver the 16km route upgrade to increase capacity and improve journey reliability on this strategic highway. 

This stretch is a key strategic route carrying high volumes of vehicles between the North West, Merseyside, Greater Manchester and the West Midlands.

The Enquirer first revealed Costain was in the driving seat for the job last week and the contractor confirmed our story in a Stock Exchange statement this morning.

Work will involve the installation of road-side technology and new infrastructure focused on improving the driver experience.

Construction work is expected to start in September with the contract awarded under the collaborative delivery framework. The project is expected to be completed by Spring 2021. 

Andrew Wyllie, chief executive, said: “This contract builds on our strong track record, working with Highways England, to apply technology-based solutions to increase the capacity and improve the reliability of the UK’s road infrastructure.”