Sweco is to design a range of major UK road and motorway improvement projects, as partner to two lead contractors on the new EUR 10bn (£8.7bn) Highways England regional delivery framework.

The new framework forms part of Highways England’s new Routes to Market programme which aims to improve safety and reduce traffic delays across England. As lead designer to Galliford Try and GRAHAM, Sweco will work across three lots of the programme during a time frame of six years, the only consultant to work across more than two lots.

Sweco will provide services ranging from preliminary design to detailed design, as well as providing specialist advice on whole life costing and future maintenance or inspection requirements and enabling works to support digital platform transformations.

The appointment represents the latest in several significant project appointments from Highways England over the past 18 months.

“This appointment is a major win for the company. It will play a key role in strengthening our footprint across the South, where there is significant potential for us to expand not just in transport, but across the multi-disciplinary services we provide for our clients,” advises Max Joy, Managing Director at Sweco UK.