Mayo firm lands mega Dublin Airport contract
The project beneath Dublin Airport, which is scheduled for completion by August 2030, will see the construction of a 1.1-kilometre tunnel.
Wills Bros Ltd., the Foxford-based civil engineering contractor, has jointly secured a €265 million contract to construct the new West Apron Vehicle Underpass at Dublin Airport.
daa, the operator of Dublin Airport, has confirmed the agreement which marks a significant milestone in the airport’s long-term infrastructure development strategy.
The contract has been awarded to the joint venture of Wills Bros and Sacyr Ireland Ltd., whose headquarters are in Spain but who have had involvement in significant Irish projects since 2007. Indeed the pair were previously engaged in a joint venture to deliver the A6 Dungiven to Drumahoe highway, one of the largest infrastructure projects built to date, delivered for the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland.
The project at Dublin Airport, which is scheduled for completion by August 2030, will see the construction of a 1.1-kilometre subterranean twin-cell tunnel connecting Pier 3 to the West Apron. The underpass will pass beneath key operational areas including the Cross Runway and four taxiways.
The underpass will provide 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.
Aidan McCaul, Contracts Director at Wills Bros, said: “We are delighted to be awarded this critical project for the daa. 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.
“We’re proud to bring our proven capability and commitment to excellence to this important development for daa,” added McCaul.
Kenny Jacobs, daa’s CEO said: “This underpass is about keeping people safe and keeping 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.”
The need for the underpass has become increasingly urgent following the opening of the new North Runway at Dublin Airport in August 2022. The Irish Aviation Authority has confirmed that apron vehicles can no longer cross Runway 16/34, which now serves as a primary taxiway.
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.
