Management of costs in support of the delivery of a junction improvement and statutory services repairs in Merseyside

Pewfall Junction Improvements

This scheme was implemented to provide motorists in Merseyside with the benefit of quicker journey times through an improved junction with the capacity to cope with increased traffic. Additionally, a dedicated pedestrian and cycle crossing was to be developed across the Stanley Bank Way junction, enhancing safety. Broadly, the project comprised road widening, adjusted road marking, hedge screening, upgraded crossing points, footpath realignment and diversion of a gas main.

As Cost Manager to St Helens Council, Pick Everard: validated and monitored costs during pre-construction, reviewed the contractor’s target cost under the NEC Option C contract, provided the client with procurement advice, and provided financial reporting and support with contract administration during construction.

Initial costs submitted by the contractor were significantly overbudget. A key driver of cost was the fact that the Liverpool-East Lancashire Road (A580), along which the Pewfall junction is situated, runs alongside statutory services including gas main, broadband cable, etc. These needed to be repaired as part of the works, but there many unknowns around the extent of the repairs required, making it difficult to achieve cost certainty.

We interrogated the costs of statutory services repairs to align them with the available budget. By engaging with the operators of the gas main and broadband services providers, we were able to establish that the contractor had overcompensated for the repairs costs and, as a result, we managed to bring these down to more reasonable levels in keeping with the extent of the works required. Our efforts here helped to achieve completion of the project under budget, representing a significant turnaround.