Re Contract

Balfour Beatty PLC
13 August 2003

           BALFOUR BEATTY REACHES FINANCIAL CLOSE ON £100 MILLION

                      SUNDERLAND STREET LIGHTING CONTRACT



Balfour Beatty, the international engineering, construction and services group,
announces today that Balfour Beatty Capital Projects has reached financial close
on the street lighting and highway signs, PFI maintenance contract, for The City
of Sunderland Council.  The contract is valued at £100 million.



The concession period will be for 25 years from financial close with the
replacement of 70% of Sunderland's streetlights and the installation of new
streetlights in the first five years of the contract.



Balfour Beatty Chief Executive, Mike Welton, commenting today, said: 'We are
delighted to have reached financial close for this project and look forward to
working with The City of Sunderland Council in providing these essential
construction and maintenance services.'



Councillor Ian Galbraith, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: 'The
installation of 35,000 new lighting columns will have a major impact on reducing
night crime and the fear of crime and improving road safety.  We believe it will
also have spin offs in terms of generally encouraging people to walk, cycle and
use public transport more.'



Balfour Beatty's power line and cabling subsidiary, Balfour Beatty Power
Networks, will carry out the work which includes the maintenance of 45,000
lighting columns and 13,500 highway signs and other fixed equipment.  The core
investment programme will be implemented in the first five years, during which
time some 35,000 streetlights will be replaced.



Balfour Beatty is already a major player in term maintenance through its work on
roads for the Highways Agency and local authorities, on rail for Network Rail
and on long-term PFI and private sector projects.





Enquiries to:
Tim Sharp
Tel: [phone]
www.balfourbeatty.com




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