Despite the challenges of the past year, there’s one silver lining. After years of decline, the UK construction industry is showing a strong turnaround and is set to lead the way in terms of economic recovery in the UK. A major contributing factor is the number of high profile infrastructure projects that are underway. Many professionals view involvement in major projects as a feather in their cap, especially if there is new technology and innovation involved. We look at some of the projects that are making news headlines and how they’re impacting the construction industry.
Rail projects:
It should come as no surprise that HS2 tops the list as one of the UK’s most ambitious and controversial rail projects to date. Three project phases of HS2, namely Euston Station upgrade, the London Northolt tunnels and the Chiltern Colne Valley tunnels all come in the top 5 projects with a combined value of £4565million. The tunnel projects will result in two of the longest stretches of tunnels on the route measuring 8.4 miles and 10 miles respectively. The Euston Station upgrade will effectively double the capacity of the station during peak commuting times.
Redevelopment projects:
Phase 2 of the Elephant and Castle redevelopment is set to revitalise the area, creating a pedestrian town centre surrounded by shops and restaurants, new homes and workspaces, as well as improved transportation infrastructure. Similarly the Stag Brewery regeneration project in London is aimed at creating more green spaces and better access to the Thames, as well as improving schools, housing and retail properties. Combined these two projects are valued at £2200million and will start in May and November respectively.
Energy utilities:
The UK is consistently developing more clean energy infrastructure and Dogger Bank wind farm is one of the latest offshore projects set to start in June 2021. The project will see a three phased implementation running along the North-east shore of England at a distance of between 130km and 190km offshore. Once completed, it may become the largest offshore windfarm worldwide. The first phase, known as Dogger Bank A is valued at £90million.
These and other projects are increasing the demand for senior construction professionals, in particular engineers, project managers and quantity surveyors. It is a time of positive growth in the industry and senior expertise is in demand. If you’re considering a career move, we’d love to hear from you.