BRITAIN'S engineering, construction, investment and services group Balfour Beatty - one of the major contractors supplying Network Rail -  plans to acquire America's Parsons Brinckerhoff Inc. for $626 million.

If the deal is approved, Parsons Brinckerhoff will become the professional services arm of Balfour Beatty, said Judy Cooper, senior vice president and director of corporate communications at Parsons Brinckerhoff.

Balfour Beatty chief executive, Ian Tyler said: "The acquisition of Parsons Brinckerhoff represents the realisation of a number of key strategic objectives for Balfour Beatty.

"In particular, we believe it makes us one of the world's major players in professional services, substantially strengthens our US presence and puts Balfour Beatty in an excellent position to take advantage of increased infrastructure spending. It is a key step in becoming a global integrated leader in infrastructure services."

New York-based Parsons Brinckerhoff turned over $2.34bn (4bn) in the year ending 31 October 2008 and has 12,500 employed in more than 100 offices worldwide.

Keith Hawksworth, Chief Executive Officer of Parsons Brinckerhoff, said: _"We are delighted to be joining the Balfour Beatty Group. We believe there is a clear fit between our two closely-aligned companies. We are very enthusiastic about what we see as the enormous potential that can be realised by working together in the future."

In a statement, Balfour Beatty's Board said: "The Board believes that the enlarged group will have enhanced long-term growth potential through its leading position in the international markets for infrastructure services and from increased infrastructure spending in both developed and emerging markets.

"Adding Parsons Brinckerhoff's successful and well-established international professional services business to Balfour Beatty's very significant construction, existing professional services and investment businesses will create a group with significantly enhanced capabilities to address the needs of key infrastructure customers internationally.

"The enlarged group will have a presence across the entire life cycle of major infrastructure assets - from conception and funding to construction, operation and maintenance. This will enable the enlarged group to provide customers with a comprehensive range of services relevant to all stages of infrastructure asset development and to operate in a wider range of geographies.

"Additionally, the Board believes that the trend of major infrastructure owners increasingly looking for an integrated service approach from their key partners and suppliers will continue in the future, providing increasingly favourable market dynamics for the enlarged group."