Skanska plays key role in Lower Thames Crossing jobs and skills drive
Skanska’s Bentley Works facility in Doncaster hosted Ed Miliband MP and Lord Blunkett this week, highlighting the site’s contribution to one of the UK’s most transformative infrastructure projects — the Lower Thames Crossing.
The visit showcased how the 115-year-old site, home to Cementation Skanska’s steel fabrication and ground engineering operations, will support both construction delivery and a long-term skills legacy. Bentley Works is a key hub for low-carbon concrete and steel, which will be used throughout the six-year build programme.
Miliband, MP for Doncaster North, and Blunkett, Skills Advisor for the project, met apprentices and engineers to learn more about the technologies and training being developed. The project is expected to create more than 22,000 jobs during construction and will set new benchmarks for sustainable delivery across the supply chain.
Lord Blunkett said the visit demonstrated “how projects like the new Lower Thames Crossing will create jobs, opportunities and economic growth for people here in Doncaster and across South Yorkshire, leaving a long-lasting legacy that stretches far beyond the physical footprint of the project.”
Concrete and steel at the heart of green construction
Skanska, one of three delivery partners, is leading the construction of the southern section of the route. Bentley Works will supply low-carbon concrete and high-quality steel components, supporting the project’s ambition to build the UK’s greenest road.
Matt Palmer, executive director of the Lower Thames Crossing, said: “It’s great to visit Bentley Works and see how its brilliant apprenticeship programme is inspiring young people from the region to join the industry. The Lower Thames Crossing is one of the UK’s most important economic growth projects.”
The project, which received planning permission in March 2025, will connect Kent and Essex via the UK’s longest road tunnel. By doubling road capacity east of London, it aims to reduce congestion on the Dartford Crossing and improve freight connections from southern ports to the Midlands and beyond.
Apprenticeship investment delivers local impact
The site visit also spotlighted the role of apprenticeship pathways in developing engineering talent. Gracie Bocking, a civil engineering apprentice at Bentley Works, said: “I’m really proud to work with Cementation Skanska. I feel well supported and proud to be a female engineer and an apprentice.”
Cementation Skanska’s managing director Andy Entwistle said: “This was a fantastic opportunity to showcase the expertise of our piling, ground engineering and steel fabrication teams. Bentley Works is making a tangible contribution to the success of major infrastructure projects across the UK.”
Construction on the Lower Thames Crossing is expected to begin in 2026, with the road opening in the early 2030s.
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