Duo left in Irish race

by Brian Warner

Only two consortia are left in the chase for one of the biggest deals in the Republic of Ireland's National Roads Authority's (NRA) £650m-plus programme of privately financed schemes.

The N4/N6 Kinnegad-Kilcock motorway project, valued at up to £217m, will be contested by Erin Route and EuroLink.

The former group is an all-UK affair, consisting of Carillion, Balfour Beatty and consultant Atkins. The latter comprises Irish contractor Siac, plus Spanish outfits Cintra and Ferrovial.

Pitches from two other groups have bitten the dust. These are submissions from the Celtic Roads Group (Ascon/Nuttall/Dragados) and Direct Route (Sisk/Brown & Root/Lagan Holdings).

The two remaining rivals have until July to submit best and final offers (BAFOs), with a preferred bidder expected to surface in August and the contract finally signed in September. Work on site will start early in the new year.

The job includes 35km of motorway, plus three river crossings and three grade-separated interchanges.

The next big development in the NRA's programme will be in June when the client picks two groups from four to work up BAFOs for the £124m N25 Waterford bypass.

In the hunt are the Celtic Roads Group and Erin Route, plus Sli Nua Morrison (Morrison/O'Rourke/Halcrow/Barclays/Intertoll) and a jv between Irish contractor Hegarty and French giant Vinci.

Later this month, the NRA will run the rule over bids for the £62m Dundalk western bypass and in October will begin evaluating tenders for the £80m Fermoy bypass.

Finally, the jewel in the programme, the £248m M3 Clonee Kells scheme, is due to go out to tender this autumn.