The combined authority for the Tees Valley has submitted a five-year transport wish-list to the Department for Transport and is now asking construction firms how the potential work should best be packaged for procurement.
The programme is scheduled to run from April 2027 to March 2032 and covers major road schemes, railway upgrades, bus infrastructure, active travel and transport technology. The government has already confirmed £978m of core transport funding for the region, but the wider programme includes projects that still require further business case approvals and additional financial backing.
The programme is billed at about £1bn in the headline figure, with the confirmed core funding covering part of the total.
Schemes on the list
The headline projects identified in the submission are:
- the Darlington Northern Link Road
- upgrades to the A66 and A689 corridors
- a new platform at Middlesbrough Station
- the redevelopment of Thornaby Station
Further ambitions include a new station at Teesside International Airport, improvements to Middlesbrough bus station and transport links serving the Teesworks development.
Because the schemes range from highway corridors and station platforms to bus facilities and transport technology, the authority expects a mixed package of work rather than a single construction contract.
Funding caveats
The authority has acknowledged that delivering the full programme will depend on government support and potentially further outside funding.
Several of the listed schemes fall outside the confirmed core funding, so their place on the wish-list does not by itself guarantee construction within the five-year window; each depends on business case approval and further money being secured.
Steve Harker, the combined authority's cabinet member for transport and infrastructure, said it was crucial that people understood the position: although the body is devolved, major transport schemes often require significant additional funding. Government backing for the plans was vital, he said, because it would allow external bodies to help fund the programme and give the region the best chance of delivering as many projects as possible in good time.
Procurement and alliance model
Despite the funding uncertainties, the authority is pressing ahead with early supplier engagement to prepare its procurement strategy.
It expects to let multiple contracts covering highways, rail, civil engineering and specialist infrastructure rather than award one giant deal.
It is also considering a programme-wide alliance under the FAC-1 Framework Alliance Contract model, which would bring delivery partners together and is intended to encourage regional contractors and SMEs to participate.
An initial supplier launch event was held on 9 November, and firms are now invited to give feedback through a market engagement questionnaire.
Contractors have until 1 March 2027 to respond, a deadline that falls ahead of the programme's planned start in April 2027.