9 construction projects to watch in 2017
Looking into 2017, here are the developments that will make the biggest impact across the construction industry over the next 12 months.
1. Undershaft, the Trellis
Measuring 304.9m in height, it will be the City of London’s tallest tower and the second highest in Western Europe after the Shard. Planners gave this 73 storey tower the green light in November. Once built, it will provide 130,000 sq m of office space as well as more than 2,000 sq m for retail.
2. Euston station redevelopment
With plans worth billions needing to accommodate future projects such as High Speed 2 and Crossrail 2, not to mention keeping 60,000 commuters happy every day, the future of this station is vital to the UK’s transport links.
Arup and Grimshaw are leading on designs for the new high-speed terminus. HS2 is expected to present new proposals for its approach to Euston to the Department for Transport in February, after which time it hopes to get royal assent.
3. Google UK HQ
The internet giant is eager for construction to begin on its new UK HQ as soon as possible, after its chief executive publicly committed to the scheme in November. Three years on and things are moving again but the scheme is far different than originally planned. The construction value has shot up to £600m: £400m for the shell and core and around £200m for the fit-out.
4. Houses of Parliament restoration
Things will begin to heat up over the £4bn restoration and renewal of the Houses of Parliament this year. A recent report by Deloitte favoured a ‘full decant’ option for the R&R programme, which would involve the upheaval of MPs into a new building so works can get under way. The House of Commons and the House of Lords will now debate the recommendation. Preparation work will continue to progress in the meantime, with two multi-million-pound R&R lots to be awarded imminently – not to mention further work to come within the Northern Estates Programme.
5. Northern & Bakerloo line extensions
The Northern line extension contract awarded in 2014 is now well under way, with tunnelling expected to be completed in 2017. All eyes will be on whether that target can be met, and with Sadiq Khan’s fares freeze predicted by his critics to open a hole in TfL’s finances, any more cost rises could have knock-on effects for future TfL projects. The proposed Bakerloo line extension is one such scheme, 2017 could be the year we get more clarity on the Bakerloo’s future.
6. One Nine Elms
With a number of challenges during 2016, this scheme doesn’t look like things are going to get easier for the project team. There are few contractors who would be able to deliver a scheme of this size. It’s positioning on the corner of the River Thames also makes it technically difficult and vulnerable to the elements.
7. Silvertown Tunnel
While all eyes will be on the awarding of the £11.8bn HS2 civils packages in the spring, the second-hottest civils ticket in town for 2017 has to be east London’s £1bn Silvertown Tunnel. After getting the green light from Sadiq Khan, tendering was launched in October and attracted interest from several heavyweight teams.
The successful contractor will take on a European-style design, construct, finance and maintain contract in a public / private partnership with Transport for London.
8. St Michael’s development in Manchester
It might have the backing of both Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs as well as Chinese investors, but the St Michael’s development in Manchester is facing some opposition from the city’s locals. The 700,000 sq ft scheme will include a 200-bed five-star hotel, 153 homes, 135,000 sq ft of office space and 30,000 sq ft of retail.
9. White Hart Lane
The £400m project to demolish and rebuild Tottenham Hotspur’s White Hart Lane is one of the biggest stadium projects in the UK right now, so making sure it goes to plan will be critical.
Stadium construction is always a difficult and high-profile undertaking, with time pressure bearing down on the contractor and thousands of emotional fans taking any sign of problems to heart.
Source: The Construction News