OREANDA-NEWS. May 23, 2016. Highways England has announced the appointment of the LTC CASCADE joint venture as Technical Partner on the Lower Thames Crossing, the proposed new river crossing in the Thames Estuary, linking Kent and Essex.

The LTC CASCADE joint venture – consisting of engineering and programme management company CH2M, design and consultancy firm Arcadis, and tunnel and bridge specialists COWI – will provide technical support throughout the project’s development and construction. The joint venture’s role will run through the future stages of the project and include detailed environmental surveys, traffic modelling, economic analysis, planning and design of the preferred route, full environmental impact assessments, engagement and consultation activities and preparation of the Development Consent Order (DCO) application.

The proposed Lower Thames Crossing is one of the Government’s top 40 infrastructure projects and would increase road capacity through the creation of a ‘motorway-to-motorway’ connection to offer the best balance of journey time improvements, value for money, economic benefits and environmental impact.

Chris Taylor, Highways England Director of Complex Infrastructure, said: “A new Lower Thames Crossing will unlock massive economic potential for people in Essex, Kent and the whole UK. We need to have a world class team to ensure that the project we end up taking forward will deliver its full potential, and our technical partner will help us do just that. I’m delighted that LTC CASCADE has been appointed to this vital role and I look forward to working with them to deliver this crossing and its legacy for Britain.”

Commenting on the appointment, Ken Durbin, Programme Director for the LTC CASCADE joint venture, said: “We are delighted to have been appointed Technical Partner for the Lower Thames Crossing and look forward to working alongside Highways England in delivering this iconic programme. A new river crossing in the Thames Estuary area will relieve congestion and create additional capacity on the UK’s strategic road network, opening up huge growth opportunities for Kent and Essex and greatly supporting UK businesses.”