Lessons have to be learnt over how improvements to the A13 in Thurrock ended up costing double the initial estimates, a funding body that contributed millions into the problem-ridden project has heard.
In April 2017 the initial cost estimate of the A13 widening project in Thurrock was around £80m. It was meant to be completed by Autumn 2020.
The project is now finished three years late with a final outturn forecast at £148m – around 85 per cent more than what it was expected to cost when work started six years ago.
The final bill has been split between an almost £90m contribution from the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP), £8m from Thurrock port operators DP World and a £50m contribution from Thurrock Council.
The huge cost increase has led to a review to fully understand how the project significantly overran its original budget forecast and programme.
Thurrock Council has now listed key takeaways from lessons learnt – including that the project’s original contract did not take into account the level of change and risk residing within the scope at the time of appointing the contractor and the project was lacking in areas at times in terms of governance and behaviours.
But SELEP member Councillor Andrew Jefferies, of Thurrock Council, was blunt in his assessment.
He told the board on Friday, September 22: “This a lesson for everyone. Make sure you can deliver a project before you start it.”
Widening the A13 Stanford le Hope by-pass from two to three lanes in both directions, from the junction with the A128 (Orsett Cock roundabout) in the west to the A1014 (The Manorway) in the east and replacing four bridges has resulted in a continuous three-lane carriageway running from the M25 to Stanford le Hope.
This was done to reduce congestion and resultant pollution, improve journey times and support further economic growth not only in Thurrock but across the whole South Essex corridor.
The project started after the contract for the widening works was awarded to Kier in July 2017. The main construction work on the road was initially due to be completed by Autumn 2020.
Thurrock Council has now listed key takeaways from what went wrong – the project’s original contract did not take into account the level of change and risk residing within the scope at the time of appointing the Contractor and the project was lacking in areas at times in terms of governance and behaviours.
The council adds Covid-19 had a substantial impact on the scheme, not only in cost and programme, However, once robust governance and controls were established controls and performance improved noticeably It also said the scheme out turn cost would have been substantially higher if a scheme reset had not taken place in December 2020.
It adds ultimately that the ultimate out turn cost is a “fair representation of what the scheme value is”.
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