Construction News hit the headlines at the weekend, as the BBC picked up our splash that Bechtel is set to pick up a key Crossrail contract to oversee the tunnelling work underneath London.
Two separate BBC broadcasts, Five Live Breakfast, and the BBC London television news, ran the story. It was also covered on the BBC news website.
A final decision on the contract, which is to oversee and project manage the tunnelling work rather than actually build it, is expected in the next few weeks.
Insiders have said Bechtel are in the lead, but there could still be a surprise.
If you want to read more about Bechtel and its record in the UK and elsewhere, Bechtel shouts about its performance on High Speed 1 here; there’s a balanced assessment of the company from the BBC itself in 2001 here; and an example of a recent UK project at Rugby that didn’t go so well here.
Further Reading:
on Mar 12th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
So much for the UK recession and creating jobs for Britain. Why are we not encouraging more British involvement. How will we ever develop and sustain a British mega project programme management capability if we keep employing foreign organisations. What next the larger Crossrail project delivery partner role to be awarded to the American / French Joint Venture of Bechtel / Systra? Can you imagine British organisations being given the same opportunity in these countries during the current economic climate? Our Tax payers money flowing to San Francisco and Paris, supporting their economies! Time for pride and common sense to prevail. We need a British programme management solution for the largest programme in Britain. We need to develop British talent for the future and retain British taxpayers money to support British organisations.