The Tees Valley authority has submitted a five-year transport wish-list to the Department for Transport and is asking construction firms how the potential work should be packaged for procurement.
The £1bn wish-list would run from April 2027 to March 2032. It covers major road schemes, railway upgrades, bus infrastructure, active travel and transport technology.
The Government has already confirmed £978m of core transport funding for the region. However, the wider programme includes projects requiring further business case approvals and additional financial backing.
Schemes in the programme
The list includes the Darlington Northern Link Road, upgrades to the A66 and A689 corridors, a new platform at Middlesbrough Station and the redevelopment of Thornaby Station.
Other ambitions include a new station at Teesside International Airport, improvements to Middlesbrough bus station and transport links serving the Teesworks development.
The programme mixes proposed new infrastructure, such as the airport station and the Darlington Northern Link Road, with upgrades and redevelopment at existing stations and corridors.
The authority has acknowledged that delivering the full programme will depend on Government support and potentially further outside funding.
Steve Harker, the combined authority's cabinet member for transport and infrastructure, said it was crucial people understood that while the body is devolved, major transport schemes often require significant additional funding. He said Government backing was vital because it would allow external bodies to help fund the programme and give the authority the best chance of delivering as many projects as possible in good time across the region.
Procurement and supplier engagement
Despite the funding uncertainties, the authority is pressing ahead with early supplier engagement to prepare its procurement strategy. It expects to let multiple contracts covering highways, rail, civil engineering and specialist infrastructure, rather than award one giant deal.
It is also considering a programme-wide alliance using the FAC-1 Framework Alliance Contract model. The aim would be to bring together delivery partners and encourage regional contractors and SMEs to participate.
An initial supplier launch event was held on 9 November. Firms are now invited to provide feedback through a market engagement questionnaire, with contractors given until 1 March 2027 to respond. The authority is also inviting firms to register an interest.
The engagement process is taking place before the programme's scheduled start in April 2027. The authority's plans set out a broad pipeline, but the final shape of procurement and the number of projects that proceed will depend on business case approvals and funding decisions.