Highways England (HE) is planning to hold a supplier engagement event to provide an overview of its opportunities available to the market in the forthcoming years in relation to major infrastructure projects and to provide an overview of the procurement vehicle options proposed specifically for the A303 Stonehenge and Lower Thames Crossing (LTC) projects.

HE is starting an engagement process to identify suppliers who are interested in working with us on our two tunnel projects - the A303 Stonehenge project (A303) and the Lower Thames crossing (LTC).

These projects are two of the largest in HE's Road Investment Programme and both represent major opportunities for the private financing and construction sectors. Although this Prior Information Notice (PIN) covers both projects for consultation purposes, each project will be procured separately with independent and separate procurements.

The A303 project will include a new twin-bore road tunnel under the Stonehenge World Heritage Site as well as a bypass for Winterbourne Stoke and the improvement of junctions with intersecting roads. It is currently anticipated that this project will primarily comprise a privately financed design, build, finance & maintain the contract, and some associated enabling works.

The LTC project comprises two bored tunnels beneath the River Thames with interconnecting link roads to the M25, A13, and A2. It is currently anticipated that this project will primarily comprise both a publicly financed tunnel design& build contract and a privately financed design, build, finance & maintain contract in respect of the associated link roads, with associated enabling works.

HE's first event will be aimed at interested parties with the financial capacity and experience of financing (DBFM elements only), and tunnelling specialists who have a proven capability of managing and delivering complex, heavy civil and roads/tunnelling works across multiple sites with all the operational systems, stakeholder, and third-party interfaces that such works in highly populated or sensitive areas involve.

It is anticipated that this event will take place in early March 2018. Responses by all other interested organizations would be accepted until 28 February 2018.

Highways England (HE) is the government company charged with operating, maintaining and improving England's motorways and major A roads. We have a huge road investment programme to deliver and want to engage with suppliers to inform our approach to procuring our larger complex infrastructure projects.