The Contract Management Group of Environment manages the construction phase of major civil engineering schemes, from the award of contract to the successful tenderer until completion and agreement of the final payment.

Major Schemes

Our specialist section was established in 1988 to ensure that the works are constructed and valued in accordance with the contract requirements.

Since 1988 we have been directly responsible for construction works to the value of more than £130 million. Most of this work has been road and bridgeworks, but other schemes have included reclamation, car parks, salt barns, cycleways and sea outfall works.

Although the majority of contracts are designed within Environment Services, our section has also been successful in tendering for the provision of contract management services.

In recent years, we have developed expertise in partnering with private sector contractors by combining the skills offered by both parties working towards the common goal of delivering the contract on time and within budget. From September 2002 the Durham Alliance was formed whereby a partnership has been made with a private sector consortium of contractors and consultants that will operate on all projects for the next five years. Within Civil Engineering the consortium is led by Balfour Beatty and includes Cumbrian Industrials and Ringway in construction works and Babtie and Capita for consultancy work.

The Contract Management Group play an integral part of the Partnership in developing schemes from conception to construction

The table below indicates recently completed, current and future scheme.

Recently Completed Schemes

Scheme	Location	Town/Village	Description	Ward
Shield Row Cycle Bridge	A6076	Shield Row, Stanley	Replacement bridge for the C2C Cycleway and highway improvements for new housing development. Completed July 2006.	Tanfield
Bowes Business Park	A183	Chester-le Street	Improvements to existing access to Lambton Estates. Completed September 2006	Bournmoor
Aykley Heads Access Road - Phase 2	Unc.	Durham	Improvements to existing access roads. Completed November 2006	Neville's Cross
Aycliffe Bridge	Unc.	Aycliffe Village	Replacement Bridge. Completed September 2006	Aycliffe east
Fairfield Park, Murton	B12285	Murton	New access road to proposed housing development. Completed August 2006	Murton East
Whitehills Crescent, Pelton Fell	B6313	Chester-le-Street	Highway improvements and new access road to proposed housing development. Completed August 2006	Pelton Fell
A688 West Auckland Bypass	A688	West Auckland	New road. Completed June 2007	West Auckland, Evenwood
Bessemer Park Reclaimation	C152	Spennymoor	Reclaimation works completedMay 2007.
Shalters Bridge	C34a	Aycliffe Bridge	Strengthening works completed December 2006	Aycliffe East
Belmont Industrial Estate	C13	Durham	Junction improvements and installation of traffic signals completed April 2007	Carrville and Gilesgate Moor
Genesis Way	A692	Consett	Highway improvements and new access to proposed restaurant completed June 2007	Consett South

Current Schemes

Scheme	Location	Town/Village	Description	Ward
Byron Place Road Improvements		Seaham	Provision of bus link. Completed November 2007	Dawdon Seaham Harbour
East Durham Link Road	A181		New road. Started September 2007 with expected completion by June 2008	Murton
Wheatley Hill to Bowburn	A181- B6291	Bowburn/Wheatley Hill	New road. Works started June 2007 with completion expected by September 2008	Shadforth and Sherburn Cassop-Cum-Quarrington Hill Shincliffe
Oakley Cross Bridge	A68	West Auckland	Bridge widening for new housing development expected to be complete february 2008	West Auckland

Future Schemes

Scheme	Location	Town/Village	Description	Ward
Dragon Lane Retail Park	Unc	Durham	Highway improvements associated with development of retail park expected to commence Summer 2008	Gilesgate
Drum Lane Roundabout	A693	Chester-le-Street	Proposed roundabout expected to commence Summer 2007	Northe Lodge Pelton
Spout Lane	C189	Shildon	New roundabout and road re-alignment expected to commence Spring 2008	Thickley
Sheraton Interchange	A19, A179 & B1280	Sheraton	Interchang Improvements expected to commence Autumn 2008	Hutton Henry

A167 Durham City Park and Ride

Durham City Park and Ride has improved access and reduced congestion in the historic World Heritage Site of Durham City.

The scheme involved the construction of a 400 space car park at Belmont on the outskirts of the City where new buildings provide the additional facilities to accommodate the car park operators, a CCTV control room, ticket machine and public toilets. Car parks were also constructed at two other sites on the outskirts of the City providing 295 spaces at Howlands Farm and 300 spaces at Sniperley each with amenity buildings housing ticket machines and public toilets.

In construction the emphasis has been on the practical use of materials rather than high specification to deliver a durable, functional product. Environmental consideration was given a high priority with maximum use of on-site materials and recycling.

The sites all incorporate a sustainable surface water drainage system. All surplus construction materials were recycled and used as suitable fill or formed into landscaping to avoid the need for disposal of materials to landfill sites. Road planings were re-used on public footpaths in the area. Lightweight kerbs made from recycled household plastic were used where possible.

Work on all three sites was carried out by Durham Strategic Alliance for Civil Engineering. The advantage of the Strategic Alliance was that good co-operative relationships were already in place which provide a flexible ‘can do’ approach to the ongoing development of the design which in turn allowed the works to progress rapidly without the stumbling blocks often encountered on traditional contracts. The sites were opened several weeks ahead of programme.

Belmont Park and Ride is the largest of the three sites and is located to the east of the city adjacent to the A1M/A690 Carrville junction.

Access to this site is provided by a traffic signal controlled junction for vehicular access whilst buses have a dedicated access road. A toucan crossing for pedestrians and cyclists has been incorporated into the traffic signal controlled junction.

Two new roundabouts constructed on the A167 and A691 near the existing Sniperley roundabout provide access to the Sniperley site, A new 240 metre link road which provides access into the car park connects the two new roundabouts.

Access to the Howlands farm site is provided by a traffic signal controlled junction on the A177 which has been widened to incorporate a dedicated bus lane.