HS2 Ltd has announced the proposed appointment of CH2M Hill, parent company of leading UK consultancy Halcrow, as its development partner for the next phase of engineering, design and environmental work on the London to the West Midlands line. CH2M Hill beat shortlisted companies Turner & Townsend, Mace, and Parsons Brinckerhoff to scoop the approximate US$110M contract.
Alison Munro, Chief Executive HS2 Ltd, said: “Now that HS2 is up and running, it’s time to bring new people on board and I’m very pleased to welcome CH2M Hill as our development partner for the next phase of this exciting project – we will now be able to move forward without delay.
“The appointment means that we will have world class project managers and technical experts working alongside us to deliver the design, engineering and environmental work necessary for the hybrid bill. They will bring, in particular, their highly regarded experience of working on HS1 and Crossrail, two major UK infrastructure projects that have direct relevance to our work.”
CH2M Hill is a global leader in infrastructure programme and project management and has recently acquired Halcrow, one of the leading UK engineering and environmental consultants. Halcrow’s experience with HS1 and Crossrail, and the skills and expertise that CH2M Hill demonstrated they could bring to the project, was a major factor in the appointment. CH2M Hill has also successfully delivered the construction for the 2012 London Olympics as the Olympic Delivery Authority’s delivery partner, and programme managed the London Tideway Tunnel and Crossrail. The 80 strong team that will work alongside HS2 Ltd will largely consist of project
management and engineering specialists from the UK. They will project manage the
professional services companies who will carry out the design, environmental and land referencing work for the London to West Midlands line. CH2M Hill’s expertise will ensure that the work is fully integrated and delivered on budget, on time and to the required quality.
HS2 Ltd is currently tendering for the professional services contracts.
HS2 Ltd is also creating around 90 new roles for engineering, environmental and public affairs specialists and other roles within the company, for which they have started recruiting.
The appointment is subject to the completion of the mandatory ten day standstill period required under EU procurement regulations, which means that the appointment will not be confirmed before 3 February.
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