The business is currently delivering full fibre rollout contracts in Ipswich, Swindon, Slough, Bracknell and Maidenhead, which are on average, 75 percent complete. The works are being delivered in collaboration with CityFibre. So far, the business has passed more than 170,000 properties across the five towns. This means once fibre becomes available through network providers, residents and businesses alike will be able to access the UK’s fastest broadband.

Each project is providing a full turnkey solution, from exchange to property boundaries, including all civils and fibre works. The team is using a hybrid installation solution which includes building both new underground trench duct networks and overhead infrastructure, as well as using the existing infrastructure. Many of the projects are also using micro-trenching, which is more efficient and less disruptive for residents and the environment.

Since the first rollout programme launched in Ipswich in 2020, the telecoms division has built its team from scratch to now numbering more than 100 directly employed staff across the five towns. Our delivery is supported by a number of key supply chain partners, and on any given day there are in excess of 300 people working on these fast-paced contracts.

As with all highway schemes, the business works in close proximity to the public travelling in the vicinity of our multiple sites and works continuously with live underground services. VolkerHighways is proud to report an accident frequency rate of 0.04 for 2022, which is well below industry average.

To celebrate the achievement, the division has challenged itself to walk or run one million metres as a team, between now and the end of the Thames Path Ultra Challenge in September. They hope to raise one million pence (£10,000) for VolkerHighways’ corporate charity, Raise Your Hands, which supports small children’s charities across the UK.

Greg Kurnikov, operations director for VolkerHighways, said: “To have delivered over one million metres of trench is a huge achievement of which we are very proud. I would like to thank everyone who has made this possible. We look forward to delivering the rest of the programme across each town.”