GLASGOW, Scotland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CH2M HILL Halcrow, a global full service consulting, design, construction and operations firm, has been awarded the contract to carry out the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and associated environmental work for the dualling of the A96 between Inverness and Aberdeen.
The dualling of the A96 is central to Scotland’s sustainable economic growth objectives and was outlined in the Scottish Government’s 2011 Infrastructure Investment Plan. The dualling is essential to improving journey times and journey time reliability, facilitating access and easing congestion between Aberdeen and Inverness. Central to the Scottish Government’s plans are the imperative environmental issues that need to be assessed and carefully analysed. The SEA carried out by CH2M HILL Halcrow will form the starting point for further, more detailed studies and designs that will provide guidelines to ensure that the dualling of the A96 considers means to minimise environmental impact from the earliest planning stages.
During the project, CH2M HILL Halcrow will be drawing upon their extensive experience of conducting SEAs and other environmental studies to support Transport Scotland in the early planning stages of this project. The work will include the SEA itself, with an associated Environmental Report, screening under the Habitats Regulations 1994, a Strategic Flood Risk Assessment and the development of strategic principles to provide guidance and promote consistency on route-wide environmental issues.
Donald Bell, Client Manager for CH2M HILL Halcrow, said: “The team will be able to draw from our past experience, including the similar work that we have already carried out for Transport Scotland on the A9 dualling programme. CH2M HILL Halcrow will provide expertise across the disciplines of flood risk, ecology, landscape, transport and spatial data management and analyses, which will all work together to determine and assess the environmental risks, constraints and opportunities for the A96 dualling programme and provide clear guidelines to develop the project further.”
Employee-owned CH2M HILL is one of the world’s leading consulting, design, design-build, operations, and programme management companies serving government, civil, industrial and energy clients, employing over 30,000 people worldwide. Our work is concentrated in the areas of water, transportation, environmental, energy, facilities and resources.
CH2M HILL has operated in the UK for over 20 years and acquired Halcrow in 2011. Its European headquarters are in London and it employs over 3,300 people in the UK. CH2M HILL is working on some of the most iconic infrastructure programmes including High Speed 2, Thames Tideway Tunnels, the decommissioning of Dounreay and was one of the leading partners in CLM, Delivery Partner to the ODA for the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games.
CH2M HILL is an active member of Business in the Community and the Employee Ownership Association.
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