The UK’s biggest road upgrade has committed to Armed Forces Covenant, making it the first construction project to become part of the scheme.
The A14 road upgrade is the UK’s largest road project being delivered on behalf of Highways England.
The £1.5Bn project will upgrade 21 miles of the A14 to three lanes in each direction adding additional capacity, boosting the local and national economy and cutting up to 20 minutes off journeys, and providing a major new bypass for Huntingdon. Further benefits include widening the A1 between Brampton and Alconbury, widening the existing A14 between Swavesey and Milton and improving the junctions at Bar Hill, Swavesey, Girton, Histon and Milton. The scheme will also include improvements in Huntingdon town centre, including the demolition of the A14 viaduct and new local access roads.
The A14 Integrated Delivery Team, made up of members from Balfour Beatty, Skanska and Costain, has pledged its commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant, offering benefits to veterans and military spouses through increased access to career opportunities in the construction sector.
This is the first project to sign up to the covenant in a unique approach to partnering. This commitment will also secure wide-ranging benefits for the A14 project by providing access to a talent pool of individuals with transferable skills which are ideally suited to the construction sector, with the project already employing 17 ex-armed forces personnel, including one reservist, in addition to five military spouses.
Mark Berg, A14 Integrated Delivery Team, Senior Project Director, commented: “We are delighted to have pledged our commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant in our capacity as the A14 Integrated Delivery Team.
“Many Armed Forces leavers and military spouses have transferable skills which are ideally suited to the construction sector. We recognise the project benefits associated with having a diverse workforce and are committed to offering a rewarding career, with opportunities for continued development.”
David Bray, Project Director for the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme at Highways England, said: “There are many ways in which the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement project is leading the way and becoming the first road construction project to pledge its commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant is one of them.
“We are committed to giving equal opportunities to all and to recognising the transferrable skills and knowledge people coming from careers outside the construction sector can bring to help us deliver the biggest road scheme currently in construction in the UK.
“Our pledge to the Armed Forces Covenant demonstrates our commitment to people in the armed forces community and our recognition of the value they can add to our great team.”
Brigadier Gerhard Wheeler CBE, said: “I am delighted to be signing the covenant with the A14 Integrated Delivery Team. I commend the team for the support they have already shown to the Armed Forces family by employing 17 ex-service personnel including a reservist, and five military spouses.
“As the UK’s largest road upgrade project and the first joint venture of this kind to sign the covenant, the A14 are trailblazers for the road-building industry in relation to the Armed Forces Covenant. I hope others will follow their excellent example.”
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