The North East combined authority behind the £1bn Tees Valley transport wish-list has asked construction firms to advise on how the potential work should be packaged as it prepares its procurement strategy.
The five-year programme has been submitted to the Department for Transport and is scheduled to run from April 2027 to March 2032. It covers major road schemes, railway upgrades, bus infrastructure, active travel and transport technology, giving contractors a broad view of the work that may come forward.
Core funding confirmed, wider list still conditional
The Government has already confirmed £978m of core transport funding for the region. The wider programme, however, includes projects that will require further business case approvals and additional financial backing. That means the list should be read as a pipeline of ambitions rather than a fully funded construction programme.
Major road schemes include the Darlington Northern Link Road and upgrades to the A66 and A689 corridors. Rail proposals include a new platform at Middlesbrough Station, the redevelopment of Thornaby Station and a new station at Teesside International Airport.
Bus and regeneration elements include improvements to Middlesbrough bus station and transport links serving the Teesworks development. The authority has acknowledged that delivering the full programme will depend on Government support and potentially further outside funding.
Authority makes case for government backing
Steve Harker, the combined authority’s cabinet member for transport and infrastructure, said it was crucial people understood that, while the body is devolved, major transport schemes often require significant additional funding.
He said Government backing for the plans was vital because it would allow external bodies to help fund the programme, giving the region the best chance of delivering as many projects as possible in good time.
Early supplier engagement begins
Despite the funding uncertainties, the authority is pressing ahead with early supplier engagement to prepare its procurement strategy. It expects to let multiple contracts covering highways, rail, civil engineering and specialist infrastructure instead of a single large contract.
The authority is also considering a programme-wide alliance using the FAC-1 Framework Alliance Contract model to bring together delivery partners and encourage regional contractors and SMEs to participate.
An initial supplier launch event was held on 9 November. Firms are now invited to provide feedback through a market engagement questionnaire, with contractors given until 1 March 2027 to respond.
The engagement is intended to help the authority shape how the programme is divided into contracts and how delivery partners are brought together.
The programme covers five broad areas of work, and the market engagement is seeking contractors’ views on how those elements could be packaged into deliverable contracts.