Major civil engineering projects to prop up civils sector

Civil engineering projects to support sector growth despite HS2 delays pushing completion to 2039

HS2 is now expected to cost up to £102.7 billion (Project ID: 07309143), but the upside is that this will produce a steady flow of work opportunities, and a host of other Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) are also moving through the pipeline.

In the first quarter of this year, Glenigan updated 128 NSIPs for a range of reasons, from pre-planning application activity to planning application submissions, approvals, procurement, and contractor information.

Glenigan economics director Allan Wilén says: “Q1 2026 saw bumpy and patchy activity throughout the pipeline of major projects. Much of this is related to the geopolitical arena we all find ourselves in and the knock-on effect this is having, leading to lower confidence in investment, due to unpredictable price rises, and whether the price rises will remain.

“Moving into Q2 2026, the recent spending review indicates that road and rail will be more heavily invested in during 2026/2027. Net Zero projects also continue to play their part in propping up the civil engineering sector.”

Road to prospects

Major NSIPs in the roads sector have been moving through the planning and procurement cycle towards a start on site.

A £112.5 million NSIP for work to key junctions on the A46 at Walsgrave near Coventry (Project ID: 23283156) and a £345 million bypass at Newark on the same road (Project ID: 19342016), both have planning permission and a contractor appointed.

Glenigan project information shows a start will be made at Walsgrave by contractor Octavius this Autumn, while the UK arm of Swedish contractor Skanska will begin work in Newark in March 2027.

Skanska has also been recruited for a £200 million NSIP to build a link road between junction 1 of the M54 and junction 11 of the M6, and should start work this October.

A £600 million proposal for work to the junctions on the A38 at Derby has planning, but a contractor has still to be appointed, and a start is due early 2028 (Project ID: 16381933).

Water works

Outside of HS2, the biggest NSIPs in the pipeline are reservoirs.

Thames Water has submitted a planning application for the £6.84 billion White Horse Reservoir in Oxfordshire and recently commenced procurement with a start anticipated in August 2028 (Project ID: 93116493).

Anglian Water is planning a £2.2 billion reservoir at Ouse Washes in Cambridgeshire, which is still in its early stages, and work is not expected to begin until 2029 (Project ID: 22326269).

Net Zero boom

The shift away from fossil fuels is driving several NSIPs. One of the most advanced is the £300 million One Earth Solar Farm at Retford in Nottinghamshire, which could break ground in 2027 with a planning application already submitted (Project ID: 23298590).

A planning application for the £300 million Dean Moor Solar Farm in Cumbria has also been filed, but a start is not expected until 2028. (Project ID: 23259235)

With a host of major projects in various sectors at various stages in the cycle, NSIPs should help sustain the civil engineering industry during a potentially difficult period.