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A30 Exeter to Bere Regis
A30 Exeter to Bere Regis
- Status
- Current
- Located in
- Area 1
- Scheme type
- Design, Build, Finance and Operate
The Project
The A30 Trunk Road from Exeter to Honiton, and the A35 Trunk Road from Honiton to Bere Regis, is a privately run road set up under a contract between the Secretary of State for Transport and Connect A30/A35 Limited. At the western end of this route the contract required Connect to build 22km of dual carriageway between Exeter and Honiton in Devon, to replace the existing substandard and congested road. It also required Connect to build a 9km dual carriageway bypass to take trunk road traffic out of the picturesque villages of Puddletown and Tolpuddle in Dorset. The remainder of the route is mainly unimproved single carriageway with occasional sections of dual carriageway. The A30/A35 is an important part of the main traffic route running east/west along the South Coast of England. In holiday periods it takes large numbers of visitors to and from the West Country.
Key Data
| Length of Project Road | 102km |
|---|---|
| Estimated Construction Cost | £75.7 million * |
| Contract Award | 24 July 1996 |
| Commencement | 1 October 1996 |
| First Opened to Traffic | Puddletown bypass - 16th April 1999 & Honiton to Exeter - 9th February 2000 |
| End of Contract Period | 30th September 2026 |
| DBFO Company | Connect A30/A35 Limited |
| Type of Road | Single & Dual Carriageway |
| Shareholders | Balfour Beatty Investment |
| Contractors | Balfour Beatty, Tilbury Douglas, Deutsche Asphalt GmbH |
(* = Value taken from pre-qualification document)
Discussion
The A30/A35 Exeter to Bere Regis was one of the first 8 contracts in the £1billion Design, Build, Finance and Operate (DBFO) programme. The contract was awarded to Connect A30/A35 Limited, a consortium of companies comprising BICC plc, Philipp Holzmann AG and WS Atkins. Following subsequent changes the shareholder is Balfour Beatty Investment.
Connect's concession is for a period of 30 years. As well as the cost of construction and the operation and maintenance of the two new build sections Connect are also responsible for the remainder of the existing road. The payments it receives in return for its investment are calculated on the number of vehicle kilometres travelled on the road, there is no direct payment of tolls by road users. Connect and the Highways Agency (acting for the Secretary of State) ensure compliance with the contract, which was established under the terms of the Government's Private Finance Initiative.
Connect engaged BBTA Joint Construction Venture to build the two new dual carriageway sections of the route between Exeter and Honiton, and a bypass for Tolpuddle and Puddletown.
At present Connect employ South West Highways- Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Services (Connect Joint Venture) to carry out the routine and winter maintenance work, but the Company retains responsibility for the road. The Secretary of State remains the Highway Authority.
