News
Minister Leo Varadkar turns sod on N7 and N11 PPP road projects
6th June 2013
The Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Leo Varadkar TD today turned the sod on the N7 Newland’s Cross and N11 road network in Wicklow and Wexford.
BAM was awarded the public private partnership (PPP) contract by the National Roads Authority, acting as procuring agent for the Department of Transport, for the design, build, finance, operation and maintenance of the new N7 Newlands Cross free-flow junction and a major element of the N11 road network in Wicklow and Wexford.
The N7 works comprise the replacement of the existing signalised junction at Newlands Cross with a grade separated junction in which the N7 will be carried over the Belgard Road via a new flyover. This project will facilitate nationwide travel from the North to the South of Ireland without any traffic lights.
The PPP also includes the construction of a 16 km dual carriageway on the N11 between the north end of the Arklow Bypass and the southern end of the Ashford Bypass and the construction of two new grade separated interchanges at the Beehive junction and at Jack White’s cross-roads. The N11 works also include the construction of a service area at Ballyellin on the Gorey Bypass approximately 3km south of the Arklow South Interchange. The service area includes the construction of an amenity building and fuelling area on the west side of the motorway along with new access ramps and a new bridge over the M11.
Speaking at the sod turning, Theo Cullinane, Chief Executive, BAM said: “BAM is delighted to be the first single entity to be awarded a PPP contract here in Ireland and to be entrusted with the delivery of these important stretches of motorway and service areas. These stretches of road will in effect allow traffic, in the case of the N7 to "free flow" between Cork and Belfast and in the case of the N11 will greatly improve the safety and reliability for those traveling between Gorey and Rathnew.
“Today we are turning the sod on the fourth PPP motorway project that BAM has been awarded and this brings to almost 700 lane kilometers of national primary route under BAM management. We are, again pleased to be investing equity into the Irish PPP market and, to have been able to partner with the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, the NRA and our senior lenders Bank of Ireland, the European Investment Bank and the National Pension Reserve Fund to develop a financing solution for this the N7/N11 PPP project.
“The PPP model has a key role to play in the delivery of Ireland's health, education and transport infrastructure and given the current fiscal constraints on Government finances, this model is clearly the way forward, if we are to ensure continued investment in this infrastructure. With these labour intensive projects, BAM will continue to be a significant local employer and will endeavour to source materials and subcontractor packages in the local supply chain where possible. Initially, up to 1,000 jobs will be created during the construction phase with up to 50 staff employed during the 30 year Operate & Maintain contract.
“These projects will help to ensure that the highly skilled design, project finance, project management and construction resources that were developed in Ireland over the past 20 years will remain in this country.”
