With a winning bid more than 10% below the lowest official estimate, a consortium including American Bridge Co., Coraopolis, Pa., has been named preferred bidder for a $1.3-billion contract to design and build Scotland’s new Forth highway bridge.

Rendering shows twin-pylon, cable-stayed span that will replace suspension bridge at left.

The Scottish government’s 2.7-kilometer-long road bridge will include two 650-m main spans with overlapping cable fans reaching down from two, centrally placed pylons, rising 145 m above deck. It will replace the 47-year-old existing suspension bridge, which is suffering from cable corrosion.

The winning consortium Forth Crossing Bridge Constructors also includes Spain’s Dragados S.A., Madrid; Hochtief A.G., Essen, Germany; and locally based Morrison Construction Ltd. Arup Group, London, with Jacobs U.K. Ltd., Edinburgh, provided the government’s conceptual design behind the bid.

Scotland’s Finance Secretary John Swinney says value for money was “an essential factor” in selecting the consortium. But its bid also included “valuable commitments on sustainability, training and employment opportunities and community engagement.”

The government plans to sign the consortium’s contract in April, with construction to start soon afterward. The bridge is due to open in 2016.