The appointment of the contractor for the project at the airport in Knock follows an EU tender process. This design and tender process was led by Atkins Ireland following its appointment last year by Ireland West Airport as specialist consultant.
The project will cost €11.2m (£10.1m), with the Department of Tourism, Transport & Sport funding 75% of the total and the airport using in the region of €2.8m from its own funds to for the remainder.
Preparatory works will begin immediately with main resurfacing works scheduled to start in May. The rehabilitation includes a complete resurfacing of the existing runway and taxiway surfaces as well as the removal and reinstatement of lighting and ducting. The work is designed to ensure that the runway at Ireland West Airport continues to meet the strict regulations governing the operation and specification of runways at major airports.
The resurfacing work will take place overnight outside of operational hours over a three-month period. Construction teams will overhaul a portion of the runway every night before it’s handed back to operations early each morning in time for the first wave of flights into the airport. The window for construction is only about five to six hours per night due to the set-up process required and the preparations for returning the runway to normal operations every morning.
"We are delighted to award this key works contract to LCJV and to move together with our specialist consultants Atkins to the next phase of our plans to commence work on this project," said Ireland West Airport chairman Arthur French. “The project is an essential investment in the future of Ireland West Airport in safeguarding the operation of the airport for the next 15-20 years.”
Atkins Ireland technical director Brian McKavanagh said: “Ireland West Airport made the incisive decision at an early stage to develop and deliver this project through a transparent and collaborative agreement that allows for properly managed risk sharing. Atkins and their cost management team, Faithful+Gould, were able to use their extensive NEC experience to develop a procurement strategy that brought the successful contractor into pre-detailed design, early contractor involvement (ECI) and then into a negotiated contract for the main works. This process allowed for the mitigation of safety, programme and commercial risk and provides a strong foundation for the continuance of the partnering ethos through the construction stage. This strategy also ensured that the detailed design developed by the Atkins airfield team, drew all the benefits from the Lagan Clare Joint Venture’s long experience in the construction of airfields in Ireland and internationally.”
Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk
