Crossrail contractors including Balfour Beatty, Vinci and BAM Nuttall have been awarded a skills funding package by the Government, worth £1.1million to help create a legacy for underground construction work in the wake of the Crossrail project.  The award of funding can be seen as a clear signal of intent to boost knowledge and skills in the construction of underground structures and networks, with several projects set to get underway, including the Thames Tideway Tunnel scheduled to begin in 2016, and the National Grid and EDF electricity cable tunnels needing updating.

In the longer term, the tunnelling of HS2/3 and Crossrail 2, will require further work.  This work will mean contractors can carve out a niche in underground work, and this Government initiative will equip them to do so.  

For more information about the Crossrail project, view the complete article.