The start of 2024 sees the emergence of a new brand in the UK highway sector, as Core Highways Group announces it is rebranding as Core Highways, bringing all its subsidiaries together under one brand and revealing a brand-new logo, website, colours and updated values.    This strategic milestone sees the trusted and respected brands of Amberon, Barrier Services, Forest Traffic, JTM Signs and MLP Traffic come together as one.  With over 1,300 staff and more than 1,000 directly employed operatives working in a combined turnover business of £120m pa, Core Highways automatically becomes one of the largest temporary traffic management and barrier companies in the UK, with almost 40 depots across England and Wales, with further natural growth and expansion planned. Lizi Stewart, CEO of Core Highways, explained “Becoming Core Highways means that we can combine our knowledge and expertise for our customers across England and Wales, giving them access to more skills and expertise in temporary traffic management, barrier solutions and events signage.  Our dedicated and knowledgeable team have hundreds of years of experience in providing solutions for customers across England and Wales’ road networks at high and low speed.  As a team we are stronger together, supporting one another and our customers to deliver.  Becoming one will give our customers quicker access us to our deep well of technical excellence as well as our innovation and best practice, such as our Decarbonisation Project Roadmap and our award-winning Digital Care Initiative. She continued “Our business is our people, and by better connecting our passionate, skilled and customer focussed team under the Core Highways brand, we are better able to support our customers and their stakeholders.” Core Highways is a leading provider of temporary traffic management, barrier solutions and events signage with the ability and expertise to deliver across the UK, offering local knowledge on a national scale, from small schemes to major projects. For more information on Core Highways, please visit www.corehighways.com Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Plans for a new £25 million rail station in West Yorkshire are making significant progress, with completion expected by late 2026. Survey work is currently underway to finalise detailed designs for the long-awaited Elland Rail Station. Contractor Keltbray Infrastructure Services Limited is aiming to complete the final stages of development work by summer 2024. Following this, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority will review a full business case for the station, moving the project closer to construction. The initiative is a collaboration between the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Calderdale Council. The council is nearing completion of designs for ambitious access routes, which include two new pedestrian and cycling bridges. A key milestone was recently achieved with the council’s approval of a planning application for the station’s access infrastructure. Tenders for the final design phase of the access package were submitted last month, and the council is now in the process of selecting a contractor. The new station, set to be a valuable addition to the Calder Valley line, will strengthen Elland’s transport links to key regional hubs, including Leeds, Huddersfield, Bradford, and Manchester. This transformative project is expected to deliver improved connectivity for the town, fostering economic growth and offering enhanced travel options for residents and visitors alike. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Costain, the infrastructure solutions company, has successfully completed works to ensure today’s entry into service of the upgraded Gatwick Airport station. The four-and-a-half-year construction and refurbishment project began in June 2019 and significantly upgrades the station’s ability to handle growing passenger numbers. Costain first delivered the planning and design stages and was then appointed to deliver the improvement works. The project has created a safer, more convenient interchange between the station platforms and Gatwick International Airport.  The brief included the construction of a new concourse and staff accommodation, as well as carrying out the reconfiguration of railway infrastructure. Costain has also refurbished the existing station concourse and footbridges, enhancing the one-way system between the airport and the station.  There are new customer information systems, more ticket gates and significant improvements to accessibility with the installation of eight new escalators and five new lifts. Costain’s project director, Andy Hudspith, said: “We’re really proud of the work we’ve undertaken for Network Rail to upgrade the station at Gatwick Airport.  The project has been complex and challenging, but we’re pleased that our work will enhance the passenger experience and improve journey times for everyone who uses and passes through the airport. The biggest challenge was to achieve the transformation without negatively impacting rail or airport operations, and with minimal impact on passengers, all while working above a live railway line and within the heart of the world’s busiest single runway airport. We’re delighted to have delivered such an important project successfully.” Gatwick airport is the UK’s second busiest airport and its station is one of the ten busiest stations in the UK outside of London, handling more than 20 million passengers a year. The redevelopment works were designed to provide crucial increased capacity to support airport growth and significantly enhance the passenger experience. The new second concourse has been built above the existing platforms five, six and seven, doubling the space available for passengers at the station.  The new exit concourse measures 1727 square metres, the size of eight tennis courts and provides a spectacular new entrance space to the airport.  The roof of the new concourse is formed using four clear spanning steel trusses that connect the platform and concourse environments in a sweeping arch form. The trusses are finished in gold anodised aluminium cladding, bringing warmth and prestige to the space. In between the trusses there are 945 square metres of ETFE pillows (a lightweight alternative to glazing) which floods the concourse with natural light, using the same technology as the biospheres at the Eden Project in Cornwall. Accessibility has been improved throughout, for example wheelchairs users’ access has been improved through the widening of the historically narrow platforms five and six. New tactile signage, including braille, has been integrated into the wayfinding signage strategy and there are 70 new hearing loops at key points.  A 24/7 special assistance point has been created in the existing station concourse to provide additional support for passengers with reduced mobility and disabilities. As well as encouraging sustainable travel, Costain also targeted reducing carbon emissions during the building and operation of the new concourse.  The project used almost 3,000m3 of low-carbon concrete, saving 517 tonnes of CO2 emissions and £12,500 in costs. LED lighting was used throughout the station, escalators were fitted with reduced speed technology to lower emissions when not in use, and high efficiency gearless lifts were installed as well as a hybrid heating and cooling system. An estimated annual cost saving of nearly £60,000 and an annual reduction of 144 tonnes of carbon emissions are expected from these features. David Taylor, Costain’s interim managing director for Transportation, commented: “The development at Gatwick transforms the existing station and provides a greatly enhanced experience for passengers. Costain’s extensive capability to deliver complex programmes has been showcased with this project; we’ve used leading edge smart technology and worked sustainably to create a wonderful new space for passengers. It’s been a particularly collaborative project which has helped enormously with its success; from an engaged and supportive supply chain to Network Rail’s invaluable assistance with possessions of the railway.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

GRAHAM, a leading construction and civil engineering contractor, has been appointed to carry out a major transformation of one of the East Riding of Yorkshire’s most congested road junctions. Work on East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s £86.9m A164 and Jock’s Lodge Improvement Scheme is set to begin in spring 2024, with GRAHAM commissioned to undertake the project. When complete, in late 2026, traffic travelling on one of the area’s busiest routes will be freed up – benefiting the whole of the East Riding region and helping to grow the local economy. The lead contractor, Northern Ireland-based GRAHAM, employs 2,200 people, is involved in more than 100 projects across the UK and Ireland and has 23 regional offices including one in Leeds. The scheme will involve replacing the Jock’s Lodge junction on the outskirts of Beverley – which links the A164 Hull to Beverley and the A1079 Hull to York roads. A new roundabout will be created on the A1079 to connect it with Beverley and part of the A164 will be widened into a dual carriageway. Over the next few months, construction vehicles and equipment will be seen moving on to sites along the route in readiness for starting work in the spring. Councillor Gary McMaster, the council’s cabinet member for housing and infrastructure, met with Alastair Lewis, GRAHAM contracts director, at the site of the Jock’s Lodge junction, together with members of the council’s civil engineering team in charge of the project. Alastair Lewis, GRAHAM contracts director, said: “We’re delighted to be appointed by East Riding of Yorkshire Council to deliver the A164 Jocks Lodge junction transformation scheme. “The upgrade of the A164 and new junction arrangements with the A1079 dual carriageway, will alleviate congestion and enhance safety for non-motorists via dedicated pedestrian and cycling routes. “Our track record of successfully delivering transformational civil engineering projects stands as testament to our commitment to the highest standards of work, professionalism, and technical expertise. “We are proud to be East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s partner to deliver economic growth to the region. “Over the next few months, the project team will be working hard to ensure the site is ready for the main build phase – we’re looking forward to playing our part in this pivotal project and leaving a lasting legacy”. Councillor McMaster said: “We are extremely pleased to welcome GRAHAM on board for this long-awaited scheme which is one of the council’s largest construction projects. “The council has been working on this scheme for a number of years but now, with the funding in place and the appointment of the contractor, it means we can now move forward and make these improvements happen. “When it’s finished, this will free traffic up on one of the busiest roads in the East Riding and, in turn, give a welcome boost to the local economy.” The announcement of the contractor follows the confirmation, earlier this month, of Government funding for the scheme, during a visit to the site by the then Minister for Roads, Richard Holden MP. The Department for Transport will contribute £40.7m to the project. The council has already committed to investing £46.2million. The A164 and Jock’s Lodge Improvement Scheme This will involve the removal of the existing Jock’s Lodge junction and the construction of: In preparation for the upgrade, the council has built a new roundabout at the junction of Main Street and Beverley Road, Skidby, as well as creating a new bus stop, which is due to be completed soon. GRAHAM is currently involved in several high-profile highways and civil engineering infrastructure schemes, including working as lead contractor on the Western Growth Corridor scheme for City of Lincoln Council. The firm is also delivering improvements to the M2 Junction 5 on behalf of National Highways.  Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals