Re Contract

Balfour Beatty PLC
17 December 2004


17 December 2004


                HIGHWAYS AGENCY AWARDS AREA 2 ENHANCED MANAGING
                    AGENT CONTRACTOR CONTRACT TO INTERROUTE
                    =======================================

      Balfour Beatty joint venture wins new road management and maintenance
              contract with a potential value of up to £400 million
              -----------------------------------------------------

Balfour Beatty, the international engineering, construction and services group,
announces today that its specialist road management and maintenance subsidiary,
RCS (as part of InterRoute, an RCS/Mott MacDonald joint venture where RCS is the
major shareholder), has been awarded the Highways Agency's Enhanced Managing
Agent Contractor (EMAC) contract to manage and maintain Area 2.

The five-year contract, which will commence on 1 July 2005, is worth between
£50-80 million per annum and has an option for a possible two-year extension.

The contract covers the network of trunk roads and motorways in Gloucestershire,
Wiltshire, Somerset, the greater Bristol area and parts of Devon and Dorset.

Commenting on the award today, Balfour Beatty Chief Executive, Mike Welton,
said: 'We are delighted to have been awarded this innovative new contract which
marks a further significant development in the way work on the trunk road
network is managed. RCS is firmly established as one of the UK's leading road
management and maintenance specialists and, with this award, now has a confirmed
order book of over £700 million. With our partner, Mott MacDonald, we look
forward to delivering top-quality service to the Highways Agency under this
contract.'

RCS and Mott MacDonald are already responsible for Highways Agency Areas 3 and 4
under long-term contracts involving responsibility for over 1,300 miles of
motorways and trunk roads across the south of England.

Under the EMAC contract, InterRoute will be working with the Highways Agency to
achieve their aims to provide a high quality service to road users, ensuring
that the motorway and trunk road network is managed safely, enhanced, maintained
and operated at its maximum capacity.

InterRoute will be responsible for all maintenance to roads and bridges,
including routine work such as winter gritting, incident response and lighting
repairs, as well as major maintenance work such as resurfacing and bridge
refurbishment. It will assist with management and operation of the network,
co-ordinating its actions from a control centre which will operate 24 hours a
day, seven days a week.

The contract also covers the maintenance of highway technology, such as
electronic road signs, for the whole South West region.

In addition to its three Highways Agency management and maintenance contracts,
RCS has major long-term local authority road maintenance contracts for the local
authorities in Worcestershire, Bedfordshire, Hampshire, North Yorkshire,
Wokingham and Westminster.

                                      ENDS

Enquiries to:

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


Notes to Editors
----------------

1.  Balfour Beatty, through Connect Roads, has four Design, Build, Finance and
    Operate contracts under the UK Government's PFI programme. Through these
    contracts, it is responsible for the maintenance of the A30/A35 in Devon and
    Dorset, the A50 connecting Derby and Stoke and the M1-A1 Link. The 
    M77/Glasgow Southern Orbital scheme south of Glasgow will be completed and 
    opened in 2005.

2.  Balfour Beatty is a world-class engineering, construction and services 
    group, well positioned in infrastructure markets which offer significant 
    growth potential. Its partnerships with public and private customers 
    generate secure, long-term income. Its financial position, with significant
    net cash and with strong operating cash flows, offers continuing 
    flexibility to add additional capacity and expertise to the business mix 
    and to make appropriate investments in PPP and other long-term growth 
    opportunities.




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