Firms are being invited to express an interest in the 4.25 km twin tunnels and approaches for the Lower Thames Crossing project that will connect Essex with Kent to the east of London,

The design and build contract is expected to be worth around £2bn and is the first of three main works contracts for the £6.4bn-£8.2bn mega highways project.

The other two contracts due out to tender will be for around 23km of new road connecting the tunnel to the existing road network from the A2/M2 to the M25.

Selected firms for the first tunnels and approaches will be invited in April to participate in six months of dialogue.

Under the programme, final bids are due in November next year ahead of selecting a main contractor in May 2022.

The winning contractor/consortium will be required to provide a £20m on-demand performance bond.

Highways England is also demanding a carbon management process which supports reductions in carbon and cost during infrastructure delivery by driving the use of low carbon solutions.

Keith Bowers, the Lower Thames Crossing’s Tunnels and Systems Director, added: “This contract is unparalleled in its ambition, and we need the right partner to match that ambition.

“From our bidders we’re looking for outstanding construction, health, safety and wellbeing performance. We have committed to targets that mean by 2040 nobody will be killed or seriously injured on our roads and motorways, and we need our contractors’ design and delivery to meet that target for our road users and workers.

“We are setting priorities in our contracts that will reward excellence during delivery by offering an enhanced share of cost savings for high performance in areas including health and safety, customer focus, delivery, environment, people and communities and economics.”

Further information from Bravo Solutions.