A wave of revolutionary projects is sweeping through the UK construction industry in 2025. From the groundbreaking Lower Thames Crossing in the south to the Eastern Greenlink in the north, these transformative schemes represent the latest developments in cutting-edge engineering and architecture.
With a strong emphasis on sustainability, these transformative schemes are reshaping the nation’s infrastructure and urban landscapes through innovative thinking and rapid advances in building technology, such as construction ERP software.
The following 9 state-of-the-art projects showcase the UK as a leader in design and innovation, while offering fresh opportunities for construction professionals.
1. Lower Thames Crossing
A trailblazing project to build the UK’s longest road tunnel received a massive boost in June after the award of £590m of extra government money.
The Lower Thames Crossing will connect Essex and Kent via a 14.5-mile route designed to alleviate traffic congestion in the region. Costing an estimated £10bn in total, the government’s recent cash injection signals the go-ahead to secure further private investment, with work expected to start in 2026 and finish in 2032.
2. Sizewell C Nuclear Plant
The new Sizewell C nuclear power plant moved a step closer to fruition this year after the government committed £14.2bn of investment.
The plant, situated on the Suffolk coastline, will create 10,000 direct jobs and generate enough energy to power six million homes. When construction work begins in the near future, the project could take around 10 years to complete and dramatically reduce the UK’s reliance on fossil fuels in line with Net Zero targets.
3. Viadux 2 Tower
An ambitious project to build the UK’s fourth-tallest building received planning approval from Manchester City Council in April 2025.
The 246m, 76-storey Viadux 2 tower will contain 452 apartments, a 160-bedroom hotel, plus an adjacent 23-storey tower purely for affordable homes. Construction work is due to start this year, and when complete, Viadux 2 will transform the Manchester skyline and become the UK’s fourth tallest building after The Shard, 22 Bishopsgate and the soon-to-be-built 1 Undershaft.
4. Dundee’s Eden Project (pictured)
The £130m Eden Project Scotland entered its final design stage in early 2025, transforming an old gasworks into a green oasis that will attract thousands of visitors each year and give the local economy a massive boost.
The project features the complete regeneration of Dundee’s industrial waterfront and will become a landmark destination for green tourism. The scheme, similar to the famous Cornwall site, was granted planning permission in 2024 and will offer a combination of eco-friendly attractions, live music, exhibit, food and more. The charity behind the Eden Project schemes is in the process of raising funds and seeking investment before construction work can begin.
5. Havant Thicket Reservoir
Project leaders will be ramping up groundwork and site improvements of the UK’s first new reservoir in decades throughout 2025.
The Havant Thicket Reservoir, located in East Hampshire, will store around 8.7 billion litres of water by the time it’s operational in 2029. A joint venture between Portsmouth Water and Southern Water, and costing around £340m, the site covers 160 hectares. When complete, this incredible feat of engineering will supply up to 21 million litres of water to homes across the South of England each day, making it one of the largest schemes of its type anywhere in the world.
6. Eastern Greenlink 2
Construction work is currently underway on the dynamic Eastern Greenlink 2 project, marking one of the biggest changes to the UK’s energy infrastructure for many years.
The scheme will create a 505km electrical superhighway between Aberdeenshire and North Yorkshire via a cable laid under the North Sea. When work is completed in 2029, the £4.3bn project will produce clean energy from offshore wind and other natural sources, carry enough electricity to power two million homes, create thousands of jobs and boost the economy.
7. Transpennine Route Upgrade
Rail passengers travelling across the Pennines will benefit from a multi-billion-pound electrification project to improve services between Manchester Huddersfield, Leeds and York.
Dubbed the Transpennine Route Upgrade, the line between Manchester Victoria station and Stalybridge was electrified earlier this year while construction work on other sections continues to gather pace. Once complete, passengers will benefit from faster journey times of around 40 minutes between Manchester and Leeds and 65 minutes between Manchester and York. Developers say the project will also allow greener trains to operate and reduce carbon emissions by up to 87,000 tonnes each year.
8. Cambridge Children’s Hospital
Construction of a new children’s hospital in Cambridge is fast approaching after the tender for main contractors was launched earlier this year.
The government committed £100m to the state-of-the-art project, with the rest coming from fundraising and donations. Preparation work on the site is already underway, with completion expected in 2029. The hospital will serve the regions of Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex. It will be the first of its kind to combine treatment for both physical and mental health in children and young adults.
9. Gate Burton Energy Park
Approved in July 2024, work has started on a giant solar farm in Lincolnshire that will provide enough clean energy to power over 160,000 homes in the region.
Gate Burton Energy Park spans nearly 1,700 acres and will generate, store and export up to 500MW of electricity. Not only that, but the £300m scheme is expected to save more than 100,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year when the project is completed in 2028.
Overall, 2025 marks a significant milestone in UK construction and innovation, with a strong focus on renewable energy, sustainability, transport and new housing dominating the industry.
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