The Project

The project is being delivered through a DBFO approach, part of the wider Public Private Partnership (PPP) concept, where the road improvements are designed, constructed and financed by a private sector consortium, which then operates and maintains the road under the direction of the DRD for up to 30 years for an agreed series of payments from Government.

PPP brings together, for mutual benefit, a public body and a private company in a long-term joint venture for the delivery of high quality public services. It is recognised that the public sector is not always best placed to deliver major investment projects and that the private sector can bring benefits such as innovative solutions, an incentive to invest in high quality assets in order to optimise longer term maintenance and operating costs and better risk allocation on complex capital investment projects.

The DBFO Package 1 Project comprises operation and maintenance of 60km of existing motorway network. Under the concession 12km of the highway will receive significant upgrading and new build works, including, upgrade of the M1/Westlink A12, new build of the slip roads at the Antrim Hospital M2 Junction 7 and upgrade from four to six lanes between M2 Junction 4 and 2.

The scope of the M1/Westlink A12 section includes:

• widening 2km of the M1 to 3 lanes in each direction (Stockmans Lane to Broadway);
• provision of grade separated junctions at Broadway and Grosvenor Road;
• widening 2.4km of the Westlink to 3 lanes in each direction (Broadway to Divis Street); and
• provision of improvements for public transport, including a dedicated bus way from Broadway to Roden Street serving the Europa Bus Centre.

Capital investment is not limited to those early phases of the project; HMG are responsible for undertaking not only the routine operation and maintenance activities but also full major maintenance repairs and replacement over the 30 year concession which will not terminate until 2036.