At the time of the news around Costain leaving the A66 job, investment bank Liberum said worries over the firm's contract book were "overdone". In a note, the bank also suggested that the departure of two staff from Costain's roads business had not "weakened" its relationship with National Highways. In a statement today, a spokesperson for the tier one contractor said it had been "advising" Lancashire County Council on the scheme "in the face of funding and global inflationary pressures". However, the spokesperson added: "We were contracted to work on a consultancy basis and so the council's decision to suspend the scheme will have no material impact on Costain or our future order book." In March, Costain revealed that it had returned to profit in 2022 as its turnover rose, helped by growth in its consultancy work.