Exclusive: Balfour Beatty has won the job to build a £70m viaduct for Network Rail in Reading

Building understands the contractor has fought off competition from Bam Nuttall, Carillion and Morgan Sindall to be appointed preferred bidder for the major railway viaduct project near Reading station.

The flyover project forms part of the Reading station redevelopment and will enable mainline passenger services to travel above freight trains coming up from the south.

Balfour Beatty and Network Rail declined to comment.

The project is one of two big viaduct jobs presently being tendered in the south east.

Network Rail is also assessing bids from Carillion, Morgan Sindall and Skanska for £50m of civils work at Stockley Junction, near Heathrow Airport, that will include a flyover and other infrastructure.This will enable Crossrail services to operate to Heathrow.

As Building revealed earlier this month, Balfour Beatty is also battling it out with Carillion and Colas for £170m of Crossrail track work for Network Rail.

The three contractors are bidding on two contracts, worth £80m and £90m respectively, to do the inner and outer London track works to accommodate the Crossrail trains.

The Stockley Junction and Crossrail contracts are due to be awarded in December.