UK contractors poised to chase Irish ECI deals

UK roads contractors are making a quick dash to set up bases in the Republic of Ireland after the National Roads Authority (NRA) announced plans to pilot its first £200m, 38km Tashel & Mitchelstown early contractor involvement (ECI) scheme in County Cork.
The eight firms which have shown interest in the greenfield dual carriageway scheme are: Ascon/Balfour Beatty; Cofsey/Koop; Gama/Strabag; Laing O'Rourke/Clonmel; Mowlem; SIAC/Ferrovial; Sisk
Roadbridge; and Vinci/Hegarty.
Balfour Beatty has already set up a new company, Balfour Beatty Ireland, expressly to bid for the ECI deal.
However, many other contractors are believed to be eyeing up moves to the Emerald Isle as more multi-million pound ECI contracts are likely to be announced if the pilot scheme is successful.
"We have been very impressed by the interest in this scheme and we are aware of many other UK contractors eyeing up work here," said Tim Ahern, project manager for the NRA. "We will be assessing the success of the contract in the coming months to see if we can release similar contracts. So far the signs are very promising."
The list of eight bidders is expected to be reduced to five by the end of this week.
Shortlisted contractors can expect a tight timetable with tender documents due out in June, with an award expected in the summer.
A public inquiry will start at the end of the year, although it will be at least another 12 months before the three-year construction programme starts.
Ahern said: "It might seem to be a tight schedule, but there is a lot of flexibility with the contract. Contractors will be given a draft environmental impact assessment and we are not asking them to design a road as they will be given a corridor to work on. However, it is a complex project involving several river
crossings."
Bidders will not be expected to provide detailed designs for the contract, which is based on a 70% quality and 30% price bid. "It's not possible for us to go with 100% quality as the market here is so volatile," Ahern said. "We don't have key performance indicators like the Highways Agency, so we have to be a little more cautious."
If this scheme proves a success, the next will be of a similar value, he added.
One bidder told CJ: "This is great news for us. The Irish market is starting to pick up and there is a treasure chest of work to go for if this scheme works out."