UK contractor Balfour Beatty has been awarded a $242m design-and-build contract to upgrade the Interstate 70.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has tasked it with improving mobility for the military and increasing safety on 10km of road between the Havelock Bypass and Thurman Road in Craven County.

The company are in charge of the project’s structures and roadways, which will allow the future Interstate 42, between Raleigh and the Port of Morehead City, to be built to interstate standards.

Mark Johnnie, Balfour Beatty’s senior vice president of Southeast Civils Operations, said: “Our team is honoured to leverage our design-and-build expertise and unique abilities in self-performing structures and roadway scope on another improvement project along Interstate 70.

“We look forward to building on our more-than-20-year relationship with NCDOT and the opportunity to help the state achieve its long-term transportation needs in its growing communities.”

Work on the project is due to begin this year and be completed by the summer of 2028.