Three major European tunnelling contractors have been appointed to develop the next phase of fixed-link proposals that could replace several Shetland inter-island ferry routes with subsea road tunnels. The firms will assess technical and economic feasibility for a test-case tunnel, likely involving long subsea drives in complex North Atlantic geology with high overburden, strong currents and aggressive marine conditions. Outcomes will influence design standards, ground investigation scope and construction methodology for any future multi-tunnel programme across the archipelago.

John Graham Construction has been appointed main contractor for the University of East London’s £45m New Academic Building in Stratford, the flagship element of a £170m Stratford Health Campus. The facility, scheduled to start on site in early 2026 and complete by summer 2027, will house medical and healthcare teaching and research subject to General Medical Council approval. Targeting BREEAM Outstanding, the design leans on cross-laminated timber, low‑carbon construction methods and circular design principles, signalling strong demand for high‑performance sustainable materials and detailing.

Hercules’ Civils Projects division has secured around £6.2m of sub-contracts starting Q1 2026 on clean and wastewater treatment sites, with £4.2m in the Thames Water region and £2m in the Anglian Water region. The work will sit within AMP8’s expanded capital programme, where both utilities are planning major upgrades to ageing treatment assets and associated civils structures. For contractors and consultants, the move signals growing opportunities in water-sector civils packages as large framework owners push more delivery to specialist sub-contractors.