HS2 contractors have completed the final slide of a 4,600t viaduct section across the M6, moving the structure into position without a full carriageway closure in what they describe as a UK first. The operation used incremental launching techniques to shift the preassembled deck over live traffic, relying on carefully sequenced night-time lane restrictions instead of total shutdowns. For future motorway-rail interfaces, the method signals wider scope to build major spans offline and slide them into place, cutting possession times and temporary works demands.

Bouygues Travaux Publics and Laing O’Rourke have pleaded not guilty to two alleged health and safety offences at EDF’s Hinkley Point C nuclear construction site, one involving a worker fatality. The cases, brought by the Office for Nuclear Regulation, relate to incidents during major civil works on the reactor complex, where heavy lifting operations, deep excavations and complex temporary works demand stringent CDM and nuclear site licence compliance. Contractors across UK megaprojects will be watching closely for any precedent on corporate liability for site safety management.

Arup spent almost £20M on redundancies in the year to 31 March 2025 while reporting a marginal fall in operating profit, signalling a significant internal restructuring. The consultancy is reallocating resources towards higher‑growth sectors, likely favouring complex infrastructure, energy transition and advanced buildings work over lower‑margin, commoditised design services. Contractors and clients can expect leaner Arup teams, more selective bidding and a stronger focus on technically demanding, higher‑fee geotechnical and civil engineering commissions.