McCann Begin M27 Smart Motorway Work

Nottingham-based civil and electrical engineering company McCann has been commissioned to deliver substantial works as part of Highways England’s £244 million smart motorway project between J4 and J11 of the M27.

The scheme will deliver the latest in smart motorway technology to the major route along the South Coast of England, and will improve road safety, ease congestion and reduce travel time between Southampton and Portsmouth, two of Hampshire’s busiest, and largest, cities.

Work started on the scheme in January 2019, and McCann was brought onboard in April 2020  to take on the installation and upgrade of motorway communications, street lighting and traffic signage as part of the Bam Nuttall Morgan Sindall Joint Venture (BMJV).

Along with congestion and travel time improvements, Highways England has also identified several additional benefits form the scheme, including facilitating economic growth through increased motorway capacity and where possible, enhancing the local environment whilst reducing the scheme’s impact on the environment.

McCann’s Contracts Manage, John McDonagh said: “We’ve partnered with Highways England and a number of its area frameworks, as well as a wide range of sizable projects historically on major motorways and highways.

“The 15 mile stretch will be widened to four lanes with changes to junction slip roads as well as new CCTV cameras, electronic information signs and signals, emergency areas and the hardening of the central reservation. McCann is working on the scheme until March 2021 to install all necessary communications and signage, as well as LED street lighting to improve road safety alongside associated infrastructure.

“The frameworks are great to be a part of, allowing us to collaborate with a number of contractual partners and Highways England to deliver the latest technology and infrastructure solutions to the betterment of the economy and local transport networks.

“We’re delighted to be onboard for the M27 improvement scheme and when completed, this will really boost the local area by creating a safer and more efficient transport solution for Hampshire.”

Speaking about the collaboration, Lee Crowley, Senior Procurement Manager at Morgan Sindall, said, “We’re delighted that once again McCann will be an integral part of our latest SMP project. BMJV and McCann have a longstanding relationship of successfully delivering Schemes for Highways England which branch back to the inception of the JV, we look forward to bringing  our collaborative working relationship and experience to this strategically important scheme on the South Coast.”

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