Six chase £600m Ireland road job

Six groups are understood to be chasing road deals in Ireland, worth up to £600m in total.

Sources say that the contestants for the A5 Western Transport Corridor are: Costain/Lagan/Ferrovial; BAM Ascon/Mccann; Roadbridge/Sisk/PT McWilliams; Galliford Try/Siac; Graham/Farrans; and local firms Wills Brothers/PT Clarke.

The job is divided into three packages and a source said: "It is likely that the Department for Regional Development will appoint three contractors to tackle the work - one contractor for each lot - although firms will be allowed to put in bids for up to two lots."

The total scheme is to upgrade the A5 to provide 80km of dual carriageway from New Buildings, near Londonderry, to Aughnacloy via Strabane and Omagh.

Each package of work on the Early contractor Involvement (ECI) deal is valued at between £150m to £200m.

The line-up of contractors pitching for the A5 is very similar to that for the A8 upgrade between Belfast and Larne (see Contract Journal, 30 September).