Insights When Atkins India became a part of the A14’s road history altering project
Being one of United Kingdom’s cardinal routes, the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon (A14 C2H) improvement scheme included a major new bypass to the south of Huntingdon - a 21 mile road augmentation program. The construction work on the project, which was officially started in November 2016, is complete and the route is now fully operational, eight months prior to the scheduled completion timeline.
Image Courtesy: Highways England
The ambitious projectMaking history as the biggest road projects in the UK, the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme now makes an indispensable route for nearly 85,000 drivers transporting essentials in and around the UK. One of the most challenging projects that has been undertaken by Atkins, the A14 made a milestone achievement, by delivering the project eight months earlier than its scheduled time, even in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Its significanceThe intent behind the inception of A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon (A14 C2H) improvement scheme was to cut down the travel time, thereby increasing the reliability, easing the traffic congestion, and eventually enhancing the commercial growth of the local community. The detailed design of A14 was assigned to Atkins and CH2MHill joint venture as part of the Collaborative Delivery Frame-work (CDF).
Atkins’ role in this projectAtkins, as a part of the Integrated Design Team commissioned by the Highways England, led to the preparation of the full business case for the £1.5bn scheme to upgrade the A14 between Cambridge and Huntingdon on behalf of Highways England. Atkins’ Global Design Centre (GDC), in India was assigned to deliver the detailed design of Sections 3B, 4A and 5. The project’s scope included the validation of the preliminary design, design and deliverables for the contractor’s pricing as well as for the construction. Approximately 80 resources from various disciplines in the GDC such as Highways, Structures, Drainage, Geotech, Lighting, GIS and Landscape worked on this prestigious project for 18 months. Our multi-discipline team, comprising of Murali Balla - GDC PM, Anil Veernapu - Highways Lead, Debabrata Mukherjee – Bridges, Anindya Chattopadhyay, Amita Mantri, Smita Sawdadkar – Drainage, PMO - Shaik Karimulla, Monika Nair – Landscape and Abhishek Jain – Geotech, worked collaboratively to deliver the designs.
Once the designs were completed, the team from our UK offices were thereafter stationed at site for supporting the contractor’s site team, The construction work on the project required the employment of over 14,000 people in total, who worked for almost 14 million hours to deliver an early opening for the traffic on the new A14 route.
Key highlights of the project- The procurement of raw materials, particularly the earth, was done from the nearby areas, that eventually reduced the number of trips to transport them from far off places.
- The road closure period for the project was reduced to a minimum by undertaking a majority of work, off the roads.
- Ensured that renewable electricity and non -potable water is used, until the delivery of the project
- So that the ecosystem is rendered to its previous state, the project team planted more than 900,000 trees and shrubs.
Under the Archaeological inquiry which is an integral part of major infrastructural projects in the UK, some major findings were unearthed during 40 separate excavations by a team of 250 archaeologists. The project was given the “Rescue Project of the Year” award in the 2019 Current Archaeology Awards.
The successful completion of this project not only creates an economic significance but also reflects the positive impact of making anything possible through collaboration, even if it is during an unprecedented lockdown.
Interested? Find out more about life at AtkinsRéalis
Sign up to receive the latest content tailored to your interests
Our articles
![Blueprints and a hard hat on a table with hands writing over the blueprints.](https://attraxcdnprod1-freshed3dgayb7c3.z01.azurefd.net/1481103/43cc2251-abc6-42a6-bf07-36e410f33bf7/2023.17000.2547/img/gCtvIzX4lkgElwjcrKkQGQ/75/shutterstock_1807436797-min.jpg)
Preview
Middle EastContent type
BlogsPublish date
07/25/2024
Summary
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is on track to become a global tech hub centered around innovation and digital entrepreneurship. Vision 2030 has already made waves in transforming the nation’s
![A picture of Shaila smiling in a pink jacket](https://attraxcdnprod1-freshed3dgayb7c3.z01.azurefd.net/1481103/43cc2251-abc6-42a6-bf07-36e410f33bf7/2023.17000.2547/img/Fs4sXhd4S0XBCwjcq4c3aQ/75/Shaila+TN+3.png)
Preview
IndiaContent type
BlogsPublish date
07/24/2024
Summary
Hello! I'm Shaila, Associate Director and IT Business Partner at AtkinsRéalis in India. I lead diverse projects, nurture teams, and champion equality, diversity, and inclusion (ED&I). Using my
![](/Blob/img/user_no_image.jpg)
by
Shailaja Mantha
![Picture of Wannacha smiling in a white shirt.](https://attraxcdnprod1-freshed3dgayb7c3.z01.azurefd.net/1481103/43cc2251-abc6-42a6-bf07-36e410f33bf7/2023.17000.2547/img/cZibr30WnEaV9AjcqrybMA/75/WANNACHA_TN.png)
Preview
IndiaContent type
BlogsPublish date
07/23/2024
Summary
Hello! My name is Wannacha, and I joined AtkinsRéalis in Seoul in early 2024 as a process engineer. I'm proud to bring a unique blend of technical expertise and my own cultural insight
![](/Blob/img/user_no_image.jpg)
by
Shailaja Mantha
![A picture of Adam Brooks in a suit smiling.](https://attraxcdnprod1-freshed3dgayb7c3.z01.azurefd.net/1481103/43cc2251-abc6-42a6-bf07-36e410f33bf7/2023.17000.2547/img/NqMOvndEIk_fNQjcqnc8-w/75/Adam+Brooks+-+TN.png)
Preview
EuropeContent type
BlogsPublish date
07/23/2024
Summary
Hello, I'm Adam. And, remarkably, I'm nearing my 40th anniversary with AtkinsRéalis! What started as an ‘apprentice’ as a trainee straight out of school has evolved into a fulfilling career, w
![](/Blob/img/user_no_image.jpg)
by
Shailaja Mantha
![Photo of Mahalakshmi with the AtkinsRéalis logo](https://attraxcdnprod1-freshed3dgayb7c3.z01.azurefd.net/1481103/43cc2251-abc6-42a6-bf07-36e410f33bf7/2023.17000.2547/img/np3xO56nN0OfAwjcqnc8-w/75/Mahalakshmi+TN+(1).png)
Preview
IndiaContent type
BlogsPublish date
07/23/2024
Summary
Hi, my name is Mahalakshmi. I'm an Associate Group Data Architect at AtkinsRéalis and a mother of two. I began my career in September 2010 at Infosys before moving on to a longer stint
![](/Blob/img/user_no_image.jpg)
by
Shailaja Mantha
![Close up hand signing contract with pen](https://attraxcdnprod1-freshed3dgayb7c3.z01.azurefd.net/1481103/43cc2251-abc6-42a6-bf07-36e410f33bf7/2023.17000.2547/img/sO_H58P5iUnIiwjcqgqs_A/75/shutterstock_1286215696-min.jpg)
Preview
Middle EastContent type
BlogsPublish date
07/22/2024
Summary
In 2021, the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) inaugurated the Middle East Green Initiative (MGI), a collaborative regional approach to address climate change. The goals of this
![Graphic representation of faces in different colours.](https://attraxcdnprod1-freshed3dgayb7c3.z01.azurefd.net/1481103/43cc2251-abc6-42a6-bf07-36e410f33bf7/2023.17000.2547/img/A3iXatQHh0g6wQjcpU9v8w/75/TT50+(1).png)
Preview
EuropeContent type
BlogsPublish date
07/16/2024
Summary
Fantastic news: AtkinsRéalis has been named one of The Times' Top 50 Employers for Gender Equality in 2024! This prestigious honor shows how dedicated everyone at our organization is to promot
![](/Blob/img/user_no_image.jpg)
by
Shailaja Mantha
![A Picture of Jo smiling outdoors.](https://attraxcdnprod1-freshed3dgayb7c3.z01.azurefd.net/1481103/43cc2251-abc6-42a6-bf07-36e410f33bf7/2023.17000.2547/img/TIMW30C24kg6wwjcpU9v8w/75/Jo_tn2+(1).png)
Preview
EuropeContent type
BlogsPublish date
07/16/2024
Summary
My name is Jo, and I'm a nuclear safety engineer at AtkinsRéalis. My primary role is to provide engineering and safety advice during the design and operation of nuclear facilities and for the
![](/Blob/img/user_no_image.jpg)
by
Shailaja Mantha
![Construction projects in Riyadh - the city from an aerial view](https://attraxcdnprod1-freshed3dgayb7c3.z01.azurefd.net/1481103/43cc2251-abc6-42a6-bf07-36e410f33bf7/2023.17000.2547/img/GMVm1QEtGEHPsQjaDNNiZg/75/Riyadh.jpg)
Preview
Middle EastContent type
BlogsPublish date
07/12/2024
Summary
Skip to Quantity Surveying jobs in Riyadh The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is in the midst of a period of economic and sustainability-led transformation. Prince Mohammad bin Salman Al-Saud (MBS)
![Photo of Jo smiling for the camera](https://attraxcdnprod1-freshed3dgayb7c3.z01.azurefd.net/1481103/43cc2251-abc6-42a6-bf07-36e410f33bf7/2023.17000.2547/img/i7X_O905VkVDXAjcoieojA/75/JO+TN+(1).png)
Preview
EuropeContent type
BlogsPublish date
07/11/2024
Summary
Hello! My name is Jo. As a Nuclear Safety Engineer at AtkinsRéalis, my experience so far has seen me work across various project lifecycles - from generic design assessments to nuclear new bui
![](/Blob/img/user_no_image.jpg)
by
Shailaja Mantha
![Picture of Mei smiling in front of a screen.](https://attraxcdnprod1-freshed3dgayb7c3.z01.azurefd.net/1481103/43cc2251-abc6-42a6-bf07-36e410f33bf7/2023.17000.2547/img/kMLdoAfTNU6hLQjcpIXZ2Q/75/Mei+1.png)
Preview
EuropeContent type
BlogsPublish date
07/11/2024
Summary
I'm Mei, a chartered engineer with extensive experience in water and wastewater engineering projects in the UK and internationally. I’m the Water Sector Lead and Project Director in AtkinsRéal
![](/Blob/img/user_no_image.jpg)
by
Shailaja Mantha
![A Picture of Paul smiling.](https://attraxcdnprod1-freshed3dgayb7c3.z01.azurefd.net/1481103/43cc2251-abc6-42a6-bf07-36e410f33bf7/2023.17000.2547/img/RBMGnUs9gkJQ5gjcoHiKiQ/75/paul+miller+(2).png)
Preview
EuropeContent type
BlogsPublish date
07/10/2024
Summary
Hello. My name is Paul, and I'm the Practice Director for Risk at AtkinsRéalis. Risk management is a dynamic field where problem solvers thrive on keeping projects and programmes secure and on
![](/Blob/img/user_no_image.jpg)
by
Shailaja Mantha
AtkinsRéalis
Equality, diversity and inclusion
We’re devoted to growing the diversity of our people, promoting an inclusive culture, providing everyone with an equal voice because simply put, it’s the right thing to do. Click to learn more.
Find out more