Contracts up for grabs

The overall contract has been awarded to Surrey-based BAM Nuttall with Luton Borough Council urging them to use local subcontractors where possible.

Already some 40 local firms have been identified as new suppliers for BAM Nuttall, possibly opening up future work opportunities for them.

Councillor Roy Davis, Luton Borough Council’s regeneration chief, said: “The whole project is for about £90million and we hope most of the money will be invested locally.

“The fact that 40 local firms have been identified means that this area has the necessary skills.”

Mr Davis said the busway project was one of the most complex in the borough’s history, being behind the building of the railways, the airport runway extension and building schools for the future.

He believes more companies will be able to get involved as the work continues.

Civil engineering giant BAM Nuttall has been asked to help educate local companies on how to get onto the approved supplier list. One subcontracting event has been held so far, on March 2, in an attempt to help local companies access upcoming contracts. More than 50 construction firms attended.

The massive project, which started earlier this year, will see 7.3km of guided busway, 2.5km of unguided busway, 4km of maintenance track, a 4km dedicated cycleway, nine bridges, a culvert, 3.5km of earth retaining structures, nine highway junction/intersections, four bus stops and one bus interchange. The work is projected to finish in 2013.

Opportunities for sub-contractors included providers of anti-skid surfacing, block paving, building works and even cesspit emptying.

Other works include coring and diamond drilling, earthworks and groundworks and environmental monitoring, fencing and environmental barriers. It will mean work for site clearing, painting, surfacing, traffic signals and traffic management.

A major part of the project got under way this week with work to create a new corner layout at the junction of Old Bedford Road and Station Road. It is scheduled to complete by December 2.

The work involved the demolition of the old railway sheds and former Red Star building at the railway station.

The programme will lead to a new busway junction at Guildford Street and the new station interchange and passenger drop-off zone in Station Road.

Traffic in Old Bedford Road will be reduced to a single lane at Mill Street and Station Road.