National Highways has begun sounding out contractors over a new delivery strategy for the A46 Newark Bypass, with the scheme now carrying an estimated value of £700 million.
The market engagement exercise comes just weeks after the roads operator terminated Skanska’s £297 million contract for the project, which involves dualling a 4-mile section of the A46 around Newark-on-Trent.
National Highways is seeking industry input on the commercial and procurement approach for the scheme, ahead of a potential new tender next year.
However, the future of the scheme itself remains uncertain.
The Government is consulting on proposals that could see both the A46 Newark Bypass and the A38 Derby Junctions scheme cancelled as part of efforts to reduce spending on the third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3) and redirect funding towards increased defence expenditure.
No final decision has yet been announced.
That means National Highways is preparing for a potential re-procurement while ministers continue to consider whether the project will proceed.
Skanska was originally appointed to deliver the Newark scheme through National Highways’ Regional Delivery Partnership framework in 2022.
The contractor had subsequently taken the project through its design and planning stages before National Highways ended the contract earlier this year. The Department for Transport said the decision followed delays to the scheme and that the existing contract was no longer considered the most appropriate commercial route for delivery.
The newly published market engagement notice gives an estimated project value of £700 million, more than double the £297 million value of Skanska’s terminated contract, although National Highways’ new estimate is not directly comparable with the original contract value and reflects a different procurement and delivery basis.
The latest exercise is focused on obtaining industry feedback to help National Highways develop its procurement strategy before deciding whether to proceed to a formal tender.
Contractors wishing to take part have until 13 October to register.
National Highways will then issue a recorded procurement briefing on 20 October, followed by one-to-one sessions with prospective suppliers from 26 October.
The Newark Bypass is intended to address a long-standing bottleneck on the A46, with the scheme involving the dualling of the existing road between Farndon and Winthorpe.
The works include construction of a new bridge over the A1, together with significant improvements to the existing junctions and connections along the route.
Development consent for the scheme was granted in October 2025, meaning the project has already passed a major stage in the planning process.
The latest procurement exercise therefore comes at a critical point for the scheme, with National Highways seeking to establish how the works could be brought back to market while the Government considers its wider RIS3 spending plans.
For now, the operator is continuing with procurement preparation, despite the possibility that ministers could ultimately decide not to proceed with the project.
If the scheme survives the Government’s review, the current timetable anticipates an estimated tender notice being published on 15 July 2027, with a replacement construction contract potentially beginning in late 2028.
(Picture: Mapillary)
