This £390 million scheme forms part of the wider improvements to the Irish strategic road network, in particular, the N8 (Euro-Route E201) between Cork and Portlaoise, and constitutes one part of an uninterrupted motorway/high quality dual carriageway link between Cork and Dublin.
The scheme involved 37 km of four lane motorway between Cashel in County Tipperary and Carrigane, north of Mitchelstown in County Cork, providing a bypass of four villages/towns, and the construction of four new grade separate interchanges and 79 structures. The scheme also provided for the 3 km long N24 eastern bypass of Cahir constructed as one of the first sections of 2+1 carriageway in Ireland.
Halcrow Barry were first appointed by South Tipperary County Council in July 2000 to develop proposals for upgrading the N8, and were therefore involved with the scheme from inception. Halcrow carried out the investigation and selection of the preferred route, the draft preliminary design and EIS and then managed the procurement and construction to final opening. The contract for delivery of the works under an Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) contract was awarded in October 2004, with Halcrow Barry appointed by the client in the role of project manager and supervisor. Construction started in March 2006, and the new M8 motorway opened on 25th July 2008.
Innovations
The type of contract used was Early Contractor Involvement (ECI), the first in Ireland. Under this form of contract, the contractor was fully involved in the statutory process including the completion of the preliminary design, the Environmental Impact Statement, the Compulsory Purchase Order and participated in the Oral Hearing (public inquiry) for the scheme. This arrangement was found to be of particular benefit as it allowed the entire process to be better informed with respect to construction and buildability issues and allowed for the early development and application of innovative construction solutions. Payment to the contractor was on an actual cost basis with a pain/gain mechanism as an incentive to beat the agreed target cost.
Benefits
The contract used, enabled the Contractor to provide quick and effective solutions to issues arising before and during construction. This approach also enabled the Contractor to introduce innovative measures into the design, resulting in significant time and costs savings for the client and contributing to the scheme being completed ten months ahead of schedule and within budget.
By removing approximately 9,500 vehicles per day from the local road network, there are major environmental benefits to the local communities in terms of reduced noise and air pollution. The new road will result in significant reductions in journey time and increases in journey speed, cutting approximately 30 minutes off the journey time between Cork and Dublin. In addition, by segregating strategic long distance traffic from local traffic, the new road will also result in significant reductions in both the number and severity of accidents.
Client testimonials
“Today’s opening represents another step in bringing Cork closer to Dublin, opening up the south west corridor to greater commercial and tourism opportunities. The benefits delivered by roads such as these can be seen up and down the country as more towns and villages are bypassed. The quality of life for communities is greatly enhanced allowing them to enjoy a healthier, safer and more attractive environment. Road users benefit in safety terms from better road conditions and reduced journey times.”
Peter Malone
Chairman of Ireland’s National Roads Authority