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Construction consultant Gleeds has confirmed that current chief operating officer David Johnson, a 40‑year veteran of the firm, will become chief executive on 6 April 2026, succeeding Graham Harle, who moves to a non‑executive director role on the board. UK managing director Brian McArdle will step up to chief operating officer, while Andy Ellis, now global head of energy, will become UK managing director. The reshuffle at the 150‑year‑old consultancy signals continuity of leadership for major cost, programme and project management commissions across UK and international infrastructure.

Road renewals on England’s 4,500‑mile strategic road network will receive £8.4bn under the Department for Transport’s £27bn third roads investment strategy (RIS3), which allocates £24.9bn to operate, maintain, renew and enhance the network over the next five years. The package includes £1.65bn for publicly funded works on the Lower Thames Crossing and £402m ringfenced for inward investment projects, with schemes now mapped in a new interactive planning tool. Major enhancements starting in RIS3 include dualling remaining A66 Northern Trans‑Pennine sections plus junction upgrades at Penrith and Scotch Corner, A38 Derby junctions, the A46 Newark bypass, the M54–M6 link road and the M60/M62/M66 Simister Island interchange.

Miller Homes reported a record 2025 after acquiring St Modwen Homes for a reported £215m, with completions up 29% to 4,931 units and turnover rising 34% to £1.425bn. Pre-tax profit jumped 75% to £124.1m and adjusted operating profit reached £219m, supported by an expanded consented landbank of 16,329 plots under Apollo Global Management ownership. The enlarged portfolio, now including a second private brand and four routes to market, underpins a target of 7,000 completions a year, with digital sales data currently showing no demand impact from Middle East tensions.

Ministers have announced a Whitehall drive to cut “overlapping consultations” and “outdated regulations” on the same day the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government launched two further consultations, bringing its total to 15 live exercises. One nine‑week consultation, closing 28 May, proposes redefining Category A building control for higher‑risk buildings (over 18 m/seven storeys) so many in‑flat works and small, low‑complexity communal works move to the simpler Category B route. A second 12‑week consultation, closing 18 June, proposes mandatory certification for fire risk assessors, ending routine self‑assessment by building owners and landlords.

The retirement of Bentley’s gINT platform is forcing geotechnical teams to rethink borehole, lab and in situ data workflows built over decades around .gpj databases and log templates. Firms now face decisions on migrating legacy projects, revalidating correlations and AGS/CSV exports, and integrating cloud-based systems with GIS, BIM and common data environments such as ProjectWise. For practitioners, the key technical risk is loss of data integrity and traceability during conversion, especially where historic projects mix imperial/metric units, custom fields and non-standard symbol libraries.

EACON’s ORCASTRA® autonomous haulage system has been deployed on 120 Tonly TLE138 battery-electric wide body trucks, each with a 90 t payload, at the Zhundong Open-Pit Coal Mine in northwest China, forming one of the largest single-site battery-electric haulage fleets globally. The fleet-scale autonomy on BEVs targets lower diesel-related ventilation demand and reduced haul unit operating costs on the mine’s large waste and coal benches. For mine planners and geotechnical teams, consistent autonomous haul patterns on wide body trucks will influence ramp geometry, dump stability, and traffic management design.

Antofagasta PLC is tying copper growth to innovation, reporting in its FY2025 results that fleet autonomy has been deployed at the Centinela mine since 2021 and is now central to scaling operations. The company frames autonomy as a way to manage increasingly complex open-pit operations, with larger truck fleets and more intricate dispatch requirements driving demand for digital control. For mine planners and operations teams, this signals continued investment in autonomous haulage, data-driven fleet management and process optimisation across Antofagasta’s Chilean assets.

Wiltshire Council has appointed MJ Church as contractor for the £31M upgrade of M4 Junction 17, aimed at easing current congestion and accommodating forecast traffic growth on the Swindon–Chippenham–Malmesbury corridor. The next phase moves the scheme from planning into detailed design and construction preparation, with works expected to focus on increasing junction capacity and improving traffic flow on the A350 and B4122 approaches. For civil and highways engineers, the project signals forthcoming demand for pavement strengthening, junction geometry redesign and updated drainage to cope with higher flows.

Heathrow Airport is seeking “real-time” expert scrutiny from the Civil Aviation Authority and independent specialists on its proposed £33bn expansion, aiming to avoid cost escalation and schedule slippage seen on HS2. The programme includes a third runway, terminal upgrades and associated surface access works, with early-stage assurance focused on phasing, constructability around live operations and interfaces with the M25 and rail links. For designers and contractors, this signals tighter cost control, more iterative design reviews and closer regulatory oversight of geotechnical risk and airfield pavement works.

Government plans to revoke planning consent for dualling the A47 and to abandon proposed upgrades to the A10 have been condemned as “retrograde” and “baffling” by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough mayor Paul Bristow. The A47 scheme would have converted key single-carriageway sections to dual two-lane standard, while A10 works were expected to address chronic congestion and safety issues on the Ely–Cambridge corridor. Bristow warns the cancellations will lock in capacity constraints on two of the region’s primary strategic routes, complicating long-term transport and development planning.

Copper’s 16% price slide from January’s record, with May futures now around $12,000/t, is being called “overpriced, oversupplied and over the pond” by Macquarie, which cites more than 1 Mt of visible inventory growth since early 2025 and a 602,000 t market surplus last year. LME stocks are at six‑year highs, COMEX inventories are at record levels, and Macquarie estimates a further 480,000 t sitting off‑exchange in the US, drawn by CME‑LME arbitrage that previously pushed COMEX premiums above $2,000/t. The bank expects continued volatility driven mainly by investor positioning, Iran‑related geopolitics and uncertainty over a potential US Section 232 decision on copper imports by 30 June 2026, rather than by physical tightness.

Lynas Rare Earths has signed an agreement with South Korea’s LS Eco Energy to secure a long-term pathway for separated rare earth oxides from Lynas’ Mt Weld mine and processing hubs. The deal targets neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr) and other magnet metals for LS Eco Energy’s planned downstream facilities in South Korea, integrating Lynas’ upstream concentration and cracking-leaching capacity with Korean alloy and magnet manufacturing. For mining and processing engineers, the partnership signals tighter alignment of mine output specifications with end-user magnet-grade quality and traceable non-Chinese supply chains.

PNG Expo 2026 in Port Moresby is planning an expanded floorplan and multi-stream conference programme to attract miners, contractors and OEMs across Papua New Guinea’s gold, copper and LNG sectors. Organiser Prime Creative Media is targeting larger equipment displays, including surface and underground fleets, processing plant technologies and mine services, with strong early exhibitor interest reported. For geotechnical and civil teams, the event is positioned as a regional hub to source pit slope monitoring systems, ground support products and infrastructure solutions for remote, high-rainfall sites.

The Minerals Council of Australia has proposed a $44 billion plan to build an east–west and north–south infrastructure axis across northern Australia, targeting rail, port and energy corridors to open access to remote mineral provinces. The concept links the North West Minerals Province in Queensland, the Beetaloo and McArthur basins in the Northern Territory, and the Kimberley and Pilbara in Western Australia, with integrated bulk freight and high-capacity road upgrades. For miners and civil contractors, the plan signals potential demand for heavy-haul rail formation, deep-water export terminals and grid-strengthening transmission lines.

Aeris Resources has completed the $14.5 million divestment of its North Queensland copper assets, including the Jaguar and Mt Colin operations, to Dingo Minerals, freeing capital to focus on its Tritton and Cracow mines. The deal comprises cash, a deferred payment and a 1.25 per cent net smelter return royalty, giving Aeris ongoing exposure to future copper production without sustaining capital obligations. Aeris is now partnering with Constellation Mining Services to optimise underground development, drilling and mine planning across its remaining assets.

Australia is emerging as a “global resource rising star”, with International Energy Agency executive director Fatih Birol pointing to its large reserves of lithium, nickel and rare earths plus mature iron ore and coal supply chains as key leverage in an electrified energy system. Birol flagged that Australia’s existing export infrastructure, established ESG frameworks and experience supplying over 50 per cent of global seaborne iron ore give it a strategic edge as EV and grid-scale battery demand accelerates. For miners, the message is to fast-track critical minerals projects and downstream processing while maintaining cost competitiveness against Latin American and African producers.

Codelco’s Andina Division and Anglo American’s Los Bronces copper operation have secured all required free-competition approvals for their Joint Mining Plan, including clearance from China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR). The agreement, originally signed in September 2025, enables coordinated long-term planning of adjacent orebodies in central Chile, with potential for shared infrastructure and optimised pit and underground sequencing. For mine planners and geotechnical teams, the sign-off removes a key regulatory constraint on integrated slope design, haulage layouts and tailings strategy across the combined footprint.

New South Wales will adopt the new National Construction Code (NCC 2025) from May, bringing state projects under the latest nationally harmonised building standards for structural safety, fire performance, accessibility and energy efficiency. Published by the Australian Building Codes Board with Federal, state and territory governments, NCC 2025 is the primary technical reference for design and construction compliance across residential, commercial and public infrastructure. Designers, contractors and certifiers in NSW will need to align specifications, documentation and approvals with the updated performance requirements and referenced standards.

Nominations for the 2024 Women in Industry Awards have been extended to 2 April, giving mining, manufacturing, transport, waste and infrastructure businesses extra time to put forward female engineers, operators and leaders. The awards, to be held in Sydney on Thursday 20 June, cover categories such as Excellence in Engineering, Safety Advocacy and Industry Advocacy, spanning both site-based and corporate roles. For geotechnical, civil and mining firms, the extension allows more complete internal nomination processes and recognition of technical project contributions often overlooked in annual HR cycles.

Two separate principal architects have been appointed for key 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic venues, with Architectus named principal architect for the Sunshine Coast Stadium and a counterpart selected for the Moreton Bay Indoor Sports Centre. The appointments clear the way for detailed design of grandstand structures, roof systems and multi-court indoor halls, alongside geotechnical and civil packages for access roads and services. These milestones lock in design leadership early, giving contractors clearer parameters for foundations, drainage, transport links and temporary works planning ahead of major construction.

SAMI Bitumen Technologies’ SAMIGreen polymer modified binder has been used to produce a low‑carbon asphalt mix on the first Auckland Transport‑approved project to incorporate such an additive. The binder replaces part of the conventional bitumen with a sustainable polymer formulation, cutting embodied carbon in the surfacing layer while maintaining performance requirements for rutting, fatigue and texture depth. COLAS New Zealand and SAMI say the approval process and field performance data could form a template for wider adoption of low‑carbon binders across New Zealand’s state highway and local road networks.

Coastal erosion has destroyed a section of the A379 Slapton line in Devon, severing a key coastal route, but central government has offered only sympathy and no funding or technical commitment to reinstate it. The community, which depends on the road as the primary link between Kingsbridge and Dartmouth, now faces long diversion routes on minor inland roads not designed for current traffic volumes or heavy vehicles. For geotechnical and coastal engineers, the situation signals continued uncertainty over who funds long-term adaptation of low-lying coastal highways exposed to accelerating shoreline retreat.

Work to install the second 320m HS2 viaduct over the M6 at junction 4 near Chelmsley Wood will start on 11 April, with engineers sliding the first 107m section of the west deck across a southbound slip road. The operation follows the earlier installation of the east deck and uses incremental launching to avoid long-term closures on one of the UK’s busiest motorways. For designers and contractors, the scheme illustrates practical staging for high-speed rail structures over live strategic highways.

The UK government has committed £27bn over five years under RIS3 to upgrade and future‑proof England’s strategic road network, with funding focused on extensive resurfacing, structural repairs and capacity improvements. The programme includes 30 defined renewal and enhancement schemes plus nine further projects in the pipeline, targeting key motorways and trunk roads managed by National Highways. Designers and contractors can expect sustained demand for pavement rehabilitation, junction and lane‑addition works, and asset‑life extension strategies across high‑traffic corridors.