By rosebell
In order to constructing Dublin Airport’s new West Apron Vehicle Underpass, the contract has been awarded to a Sacyr Ireland Ltd and Wills Bros Ltd joint venture.
Dublin Airport operator DAA awarded the €265m contract under an Airfield and Landside Civil Works Framework (Lot 2) agreement.
While the scheduled date for completing this project is August 2030, it involves the construction of a 1.1km twin-cell tunnel linking Pier 3 at Dublin Airport to the West Apron. The pathe of this tunnel is due to e under the key operational areas including the Cross Runway (16/34) at Dublin Airport and four taxiways.
Providing a dedicated, segregated route for airside vehicles, such as cargo operators, fuel bowsers, tugs, loaders, steps, and catering trucks, between the remote West Apron and the Eastern Campus, where most airport services and facilities are located, is the intention of this underpass.
The twin-cell design ensures operational resilience, allowing one lane to remain open in the event of maintenance or an incident in the other. The project also includes the reconfiguration of 23,700m2 of the airport to accommodate layout changes and associated infrastructure works.
With the aim of minimising disruption to airport operations and the local community, construction is going to be carried out using cut-and-cover techniques, with a full traffic management plan in place.
The underpass will play a pivotal role in enabling the airport to grow to a projected capacity of 40 million passengers per annum and to accommodate the continued expansion of cargo and contingency operations on the West Apron.
Considering that the Irish Aviation Authority confirmed that apron vehicles could no longer cross Runway 16/34, which now serves as a primary taxiway, the require for the underpass has become increasingly urgent following the inauguration of the new North Runway at Dublin Airport in August 2022 and without this tunnel, vehicle access to the West Apron would be forced onto circuitous and inefficient routes, severely impacting operations such as cargo handling and general aviation.
According to DAA CEO Kenny Jacobs: “The tunnel would keep people safe and keep the airport moving. It’s a critical piece of infrastructure that’ll make a big difference, cutting travel times, boosting efficiency, and future-proofing the place as we grow. It’s the right project, at the right time, with the right team to deliver it.”
As the first work order in a five-year framework contract granted to the Sacyr-Wills Joint Venture, this tunnel is critical to ensuring the safe and efficient operation of the airfield at Dublin Airport.
“We look forward to working together with daa to create improved access and safety on the airfield at Dublin Airport in a construction project that will help meet the needs of its passengers, whilst ensuring Dublin Airport can develop as a leading European and transatlantic hub,” said Alejandro Mendoza, director of operations at Sacyr UK, Ireland and Sweden.
Wills Bros contracts manager Aidan McCaul said:”The company was delighted to be awarded the critical project.As a family-run business with over 53 years of experience, our self-delivery model has enabled us to consistently deliver large and complex civil engineering projects across Ireland.”
With the aim of delivering the A6 Dungiven to Drumahoe highway, one of the largest infrastructure projects built to date, delivered for the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland, Wills Bros and Sacyr were previously engaged in a joint venture as part of the SWS Joint Venture.
