Spark NEL, the consortium delivering Victoria’s North East Link, has signed up UK-based artificial intelligence (AI) firm nPlan to provide artificial intelligence AI-led schedule assurance and risk management as project moves into its final phases.
The North East Link, which involves constructing two 6.5km, three-lane twin tunnels as part of a 10km expressway that will close a longstanding gap in Melbourne’s road network. It is being built by Spark NEL, a joint venture of Webuild, CPB Contractors, GS Engineering & Construction and China Construction Oceania. The consortium is managing construction and commissioning, with completion slated for 2028.
Where the budget was set at A$11bn (£5.5bn), recent estimates have said the final pricetag could be as much as A$26bn (£13bn). This underscores the need for the final stages to be tightened up with the help of digital tools.
Under the arrangement, Spark NEL will use nPlan’s Insights Pro platform, which draws on a proprietary dataset of more than 750,000 past project schedules. The technology is designed to quantify schedule uncertainty, identify activities and “sub-critical” paths that increase delay risk and highlight complexity and quality issues within programmes. Project controls teams can then target interventions where they are expected to most reduce risk and increase confidence in meeting milestones.
nPlan, founded in the UK, has expanded rapidly after a recent $16M (£12M) Series B funding round led by CapHorn and with participation from Chevron Technology Ventures, Suffolk Technologies, GV, Pentech Ventures and LocalGlobe. The company says it is now being used on more than £375M of live projects worldwide and has previously worked with clients in rail, energy, water and large urban developments.
The North East Link is one of Australia’s largest transport projects. Its construction has faced typical sector pressures, complex engineering, interdependent programmes, supply-chain constraints and the need to coordinate multiple contractors and stakeholders, all factors that increase the importance of robust schedule and risk management as the project approaches later stages.
nPlan’s rise in the highways and infrastructure sector follows its earlier contracts with rail and utilities clients, including Network Rail and projects linked to HS2 in the UK, and a growing Australian presence with organisations such as Queensland Rail and Rail Projects Victoria. The company’s approach uses machine learning trained on historical project data to forecast likely delays and their drivers; proponents say this can enable earlier, more focused mitigation than traditional methods.
Independent experts note that while data-driven forecasting can improve visibility of schedule risk, its effectiveness depends on the quality and relevance of both historical data and the project’s current input schedules. Infrastructure projects often include unique risks, geotechnical surprises, regulatory changes, community objections, that may not be fully captured by past projects. Project teams therefore typically combine algorithmic outputs with on-the-ground judgement.
For Spark NEL, adopting the platform appears aimed at tightening controls as the programme transitions from heavy civil construction to tunnelling completion, systems installation and commissioning phases, where delays can compound and become costly. The consortium has committed to delivering the link by 2028; accurate forecasting and targeted risk mitigation could be central to meeting that deadline and managing budget pressures.
As major civil projects increasingly embrace digital tools, the North East Link deal highlights a broader industry shift toward using historical data and AI to support decision-making. Whether these technologies will materially reduce overruns on megaprojects remains to be seen, but suppliers and clients are betting that better foresight will translate into better outcomes.
Rui Gaiao, project controls cirector at Spark NEL said: “It is in the later stages of delivery where risks can multiply quickly and delays can pile up suddenly. By partnering with nPlan, Spark NEL D&C is acting responsibly to ensure we have the best possible chance of completing the North East Link with confidence, supported by world-class data-driven assurance.”
Dev Amratia, CEO and co-founder of nPlan said: “Our partnership with Spark NEL shows the momentum we’re building following our Series B raise. We’re already the AI project controls and delivery market leader in energy, utilities, and rail, and with North East Link we’re extending that leadership into highways. Owners and contractors are turning to us because our dataset – more than 750,000 past project schedules, representing over $2tn (£1.5tn) of capital spend – gives them a uniquely powerful way to see risks clearly, manage uncertainty, and deliver with confidence.”
Like what you’ve read? To receive New Civil Engineer’s daily and weekly newsletters click here.
