Dublin Airport operator DAA has awarded the main construction contract for the new 3.1km north runway to a joint venture (JV) between Irish civil engineering firm Roadbridge and Spanish infrastructure company FCC Construcción (FCC).
The scope of the contract includes the design and construction of the new runway at Dublin Airport.
Under the terms of the contract, the JV will build 306,000m² of new runway and taxiways and 6km of new internal airport roads. It will also see the installation of new drainage and pollution controls, 7.5km of electrical cable and more than 2,000 new runway and taxiway lights.
DAA noted that preparatory site works will commence immediately and groundworks will begin in January next year.
Construction of the new runway is scheduled for completion by 2021. The project is expected to create 31,200 new jobs and €2.2bn in additional economic activity by 2043.
The new runway will be located around 1.6km north of the existing main runway and its development will enable airlines to offer connections to more destinations.
DAA chief executive Dalton Philips said: “We are delighted to award this key contract to Roadbridge FCC and to move to the next phase of our plans to deliver the new North Runway.
“North Runway is an essential project for Ireland, as it will position the country for future economic growth for many decades to come. North Runway isn’t Dublin’s new runway; it is Ireland’s new runway and it will boost the performance of Irish tourism, trade and foreign direct investment in a post-Brexit world.”
During the build phase, about 300 construction jobs are expected to be created onsite, with additional jobs made at sub-supply firms offsite.
The objective of the new runway is to reduce delays and congestion as the airport’s existing runway system is effectively full at peak times.
