Network Rail has appointed Skanska to design, build and install a new steel bridge over the M6 motorway near Penrith under a £43m contract.
The project involves replacing Clifton Bridge, which carries the West Coast Main Line and forms part of a key rail route.
The 130-metre long, single-span bridge will be constructed on a separate site near the existing structure.
The current bridge will be removed and the new one installed during a 15-day blockade beginning on 31 December 2025.
The commissioning work will take place during that 15-day period while the West Coast Main Line is closed.
Skanska was awarded the job under Network Rail’s five-year North West and Central Framework, which runs from April 2024 to March 2029.
The contract is the firm’s first win on the framework.
James Corker, operations director for rail at Skanska, said the contractor had worked with Network Rail to refine the design and construction approach in recent months. The revised methodology aims to reduce cost, time and carbon by reusing parts of the original bridge infrastructure, such as abutments and piers.
Corker added: “This is a complex project that will be delivered to tight timescales. We have drawn on our experience delivering similar schemes, with close support from our supply chain.”
The scheme has also been developed in partnership with several stakeholders, including National Highways, Westmorland & Furness Council, the Environment Agency and the National Trust.
Source: Skanska press release