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M40 Denham to Warwick
M40 Denham to Warwick
- Status
- Current
- Located in
- Area 3, Area 5, Area 8, Area 9
- Scheme type
- Design, Build, Finance and Operate
The Project
The M40 is a strategic route between London and Birmingham. It acts as an alternative to the M1/M6 between those two locations and also provides part of a high standard route between the Midlands and the South Coast ports. The project road runs from Junction 1 (the junction with the A40 at Denham) to Junction 15 (the junction with the A46 at Warwick).
Key Data
| Length of Project Road | 122km |
|---|---|
| Estimated Construction Cost | £65 Million (approximate cost of the widening Jct 1A - 3, NOT the construction cost of the M40) |
| Contract Award | 8 October 1996 |
| Commencement | 6 January 1997 |
| First Opened to Traffic | 22nd December 1998 |
| End of Contract Period | 5 January 2027 |
| DBFO Company | UK Highways M40 Ltd |
| Type of Road | Motorway |
| Shareholders | Laing Roads and SMIF (Secondary Market Infrastructure Fund) |
| Contractors | John Laing, Hyder, Tarmac Caisse des Depots et Consignations, Transroute International SA |
(* = Value taken from pre-qualification document)
Discussion
The M40 is a strategic motorway linking the Midlands and the South East, as an alternative to the M1/M6.
With the M1 and the Southern M42, it forms part of the triangle of motorways connecting the industrial and commercial centres in the Midlands and North, to the South Coast ports and the Channel Tunnel.
The M40 is a dual three lane motorway with hard shoulder. In February 1995, junction 1 (Denham, Bucks) to junction 15 (Warwick, Warks) was announced as a scheme to be let under the Government's Private Finance Initiative, and on 8th October 1996, UK Highways Ltd were awarded the contract to maintain and operate it.
- M40 Junction 1 - 15: 122kms long;
- Construction of the M40 was begun in the late 1960's and completed in January 1991 with the opening of the length between junctions 8 and 15;
- Junction 4 - 5 widening opened 7 August 1991;
- 6 January 1997: Commencement of contract;
- Junction 1A - 3 widened to four lanes, completed 12 January 1999.
