ENGINEERING firm Cleveland Bridge has won a £60m-plus contract to carry out works on the M1 over a three-year period.

The contract means job security for the 400 staff who work at its Darlington base and the creation of at least 50 more jobs at the site.

Cleveland Bridge vice-president Derek Prattle said yesterday that the contract was fantastic news for the company - currently celebrating its 125th anniversary.

He told The Northern Echo that the company looked set to win a second contract - also exceeding £60m - within the next month.

"Cleveland's impressive track record and experience in the field of retrofit projects and bridge building has undoubtedly been a major factor in securing this prestigious project for us," he said.

"It's good for us in terms of continuity.

"We have recently completed refurbishment work at Avonmouth Bridge and work at Canary Wharf.

"We have got a core team that we use on the projects but if we don't have a set project then those guys have to find other work.

"This offers them the chance to keep working with us if they want. It also offers a stability for the whole workforce for the next two or three years.

"We are also looking to hire additional people at the Darlington works."

The extensive works will be carried out on the M1 Tinsley Viaduct at Sheffield and involve strengthening the 1,033m, 20-span, double-deck steel box girder viaduct to bring it in line with an EU directive on lorry weights.

The 32-year-old bridge is currently restricted to four lanes but strengthening it will allow this to increase to six.

The first stage of a four-month programme of surveys and tests on the busy viaduct has already been successfully completed, with Cleveland Bridge working alongside main contractor Edmund Nuttall, design consultants Owen Williams and the Highways Agency.

Between 200 and 250 people - more than half of them from the North-East - will work on the project in Sheffield.

"It's a significant number of on-site personnel for us," said Mr Prattle.

"We are also anticipating another extremely big order within the next few weeks which I can't comment on yet. All-in-all, we expect to increase our workforce by about 200 to 250."