As T&TI was going to press, Morgan Est announced that it had been awarded the 9.4km tunnel in joint venture for the Belfast stormwater management works, (T&TI, March 2005, p8).
Morgan won the contract with Belfast based contractor Farrans (Construction) Ltd. The US$173.86M scheme will take approximately three years to construct for client, Northern Ireland Water Service. Morgan’s share of the work is worth US$116.47M.
The JV will design, build, test and commission a 9.4km long tunnel, up to 4m diameter, underneath the city centre to the treatment works at Duncrue that is yet to be built. The project aims to improve the quality of the Lagan and Blackstaff rivers.
T&TI was told last year that the tunnel route is mainly through clay with some incursions into sandstone bedrock with dolerite dykes. High water inflows are not expected.
The scope includes 3,805m of 2.1m diameter and 3,800m of 4m diameter bored tunnel, together with over 1,750m of pipejacks ranging from 1.5m to 1.8m diameter. The scheme includes 27 shafts, typically 7.5m diameter, although the terminal pumping station shaft is 40m diameter.
Mark Cutler, Morgan Est managing director, said: “We are looking forward to working with Water Service and Farrans on one of Belfast’s largest infrastructure projects which will be using innovative and environmentally friendly tunnelling techniques.”
