Costain, Lagan and Ferrovial in Northern Ireland JV

A £102 million (€129 million) Northern Ireland Roads Service contract awarded for the design and construction phase of the A8 Belfast to Larne dual carriageway is being split equally between joint venture partners Costain, Lagan Construction and Ferrovial Agroman.

The joint venture will design, construct and provide aftercare for the whole of the A8 Belfast to Larne dual carriageway works. The A8 is described as a strategically important road within Northern Ireland, servicing the port of Larne and carrying more than 17,000 vehicles daily.

The work will begin immediately and is expected to complete in winter 2015.

The award follows on from the successful completion of the Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) consultancy phase of the scheme, announced on 28 January, 2010.

In May, regional Development Minister Danny Kennedy, decided to proceed with the A8 dual carriageway scheme having considered an inspector's report into the public inquiries on the A8 scheme. He tasked Northern Ireland Roads Service to progress the project, taking into account the inspector's recommended amendments, which included the recommendation that the proposed dual carriageway should be constructed in accordance with the preferred route, which bypasses Bruslee and Ballynure.