Joint venture consortium Ferrovial-Agroman-SIAC, which trades as Eurolink, has been awarded the contract for Ireland's largest ever road project - the M3 Clonee to North of Kells scheme. The new route will prove a major enhancement to the infrastructure of the Royal County - and should considerably reduce the journey time to and from Croke Park! The Royals enjoyed more than their fair share of big days out at GAA headquarters in 2007 and the signs are encouraging that Colin Coyle and his team could be back in Croke Park a few more times in the coming year. The draw for the 2008 Leinster SFC hasn't been unkind and Meath will be quietly fancying their chances of booking a place in the business end of the provincial knockout competition. The pilgrimage to Croker is one that Royal County fans know only too well. The tailbacks are only a minor inconvenience when you're winning but they can be a major irritant when your team has been subjected to the bitter taste of defeat. Thus, the new section of the M3 motorway from north of the county to Clonee will be a godsend for football fans making the trek to the capital. It's also good economic news for the county, whose growing legion of commuters who travel to and from the city on a regular basis will now benefit from significantly reduced journey times. The presence of a vastly-improved infrastructure should significantly outweigh the inconvenience of the toll fare. The cost of the road, including land, is ?900 million. The contract is to design, build, finance and operate the 60km M3 Clonee to North of Kells project under a 45-year concession. Design and construction of the 2x2 lane motorway is being undertaken by a fully integrated joint venture between SIAC and Ferrovial Agroman S.A. and a 39-month programme is envisaged with the privately-financed, tolled motorway scheduled to open to traffic in mid-2010. The M3 project consists of 60km of new motorway together with a further 50km of associated side roads and other roads. A total of 135 new structures will be required together with two toll plazas and associated control buildings. Luis Munoz is project manager on the Clonee to North of Kells PPP Motorway Scheme, which will run right through Meath from the Dublin border in the south of the county to its northern border with Cavan, bypassing the notorious bottlenecks of Dunshaughlin, Navan and Kells along the way. When asked what are the biggest challenges provided by this PPP (Public Private Partnership) project, Luis revealed: "The coordination of such a large organisation, and the different departments, in order to work as a team. We have people from more than 15 nationalities and cultures working together to achieve the projected targets in Health and Safety, Quality and Programme." And it will all have been worthwhile once the project is completed: "The extension to the motorway standard road from Clonee to Kells, a distance of approximately 47 kilometres will significantly improve road transport connections." Luis has been based in Ireland since the project began in March. He is overseeing the entire operation, with the guidance and support of the M3 Motorway Supervisory Board. "It is my understanding that commuters see it as a very necessary and welcome advancement," he continues. "I am committed to delivering a quality motorway within budget and on time." Not surprisingly, as a sports enthusiast, the Spaniard has taken in some of the local sporting culture since landing on Irish shores - developing something of an affinity for the ancient game: "I enjoy a social game of soccer. I have watched both gaelic football and hurling and, as I had never seen the games played before they were a mystery. I'm fascinated by the hurling," he admits. SIAC Construction Ltd's evolution and development over the past number of years has positioned SIAC as one of Ireland's largest contractors. SIAC has demonstrated its capability as a management, design and construction provider on many large and high profile projects, particularly in the roads and bridges sector. SIAC's position in the marketplace has been enhanced by its participation in joint ventures with large international civil contractors and local specialist contractors, enabling it to undertake multidisciplinary projects of scale and complexity. SIAC's proven commitment to delivery, quality and safety has resulted in a large and growing public sector client base including the NRA, Department of the Environment, Iarnrod Eireann, Bord Gais, ESB, The Prison Service and many local and city authorities Ferrovial Agroman is one of Europe's leading specialists in the design, construction, financing, maintenance and management of infrastructural projects. Expansion has driven it to seek new markets, eventually leading to the creation of a multinational group with a stable presence in countries in Europe (UK, Poland, Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Switzerland and Greece), North America (the USA and Canada), Australia and Latin America. Of the total investment made in the last seven years, 45% was in projects outside Spain. Ferrovial is now one of the world's leading infrastructures groups with a capitalisation which exceeds 8,000 million euro and more than 78,000 employees. In Ireland, Ferrovial Agroman's construction activity is carried out through Ferrovial-Agroman Ireland Ltd., which was incorporated in February 2003. In addition to the Clonee to North of Kells PPP Motorway Scheme, SIAC Ferrovial previously worked in the Royal County as it carried out the N4/N6 Kinnegad-Kilcock Motorway, part of which goes through Meath. The consortium was also awarded the M50 Upgrade Scheme Contract 1 and the A1/N1 Newry-Dundalk Link Road contract. Up until mid-2010, SIAC Ferrovial will be busy on the design and construction of a project which incorporates 49km of two-lane motorway from Clonee to Kells, 37km of side roads, 35 overbridges, 22 underpasses, three river crossings and two railway bridges. Once it's complete, the people of Meath won't know themselves. And maybe Sam Maguire will travel along the route sooner rather than later. Tweet

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