Dublin Airport operator DAA awarded the €265m contract under an Airfield and Landside Civil Works Framework (Lot 2) agreement.
The project, which is scheduled for completion by August 2030, involves the construction of a 1.1km twin-cell tunnel connecting Pier 3 at Dublin Airport to the West Apron. The tunnel will pass beneath key operational areas including the Cross Runway (16/34) at Dublin Airport and four taxiways.
The underpass will provide a dedicated, segregated route for airside vehicles – such as cargo operators, fuel bowsers, tugs, loaders, steps, and catering trucks – between the remote West Apron and the Eastern Campus, where most airport services and facilities are located.
The twin-cell design ensures operational resilience, allowing one lane to remain open in the event of maintenance or an incident in the other. The project also includes the reconfiguration of 23,700m2 of the airport to accommodate layout changes and associated infrastructure works.
Construction will be carried out using cut-and-cover techniques, with a full traffic management plan in place to minimise disruption to airport operations and the local community.
The underpass will play a pivotal role in enabling the airport to grow to a projected capacity of 40 million passengers per annum and to accommodate the continued expansion of cargo and contingency operations on the West Apron.
The need for the underpass has become increasingly urgent following the opening of the new North Runway at Dublin Airport in August 2022. The Irish Aviation Authority confirmed that apron vehicles could no longer cross Runway 16/34, which now serves as a primary taxiway. Without the tunnel, vehicle access to the West Apron would be forced onto circuitous and inefficient routes, severely impacting operations such as cargo handling and general aviation.
DAA CEO Kenny Jacobs said the tunnel would keep people safe and keep the airport moving.
“It’s a critical piece of infrastructure that’ll make a big difference – cutting travel times, boosting efficiency, and future-proofing the place as we grow. It’s the right project, at the right time, with the right team to deliver it,” he said.
The tunnel is the first work order in a five-year framework contract awarded to the Sacyr-Wills Joint Venture and is critical to ensuring the safe and efficient operation of the airfield at Dublin Airport.
“We look forward to working together with daa to create improved access and safety on the airfield at Dublin Airport in a construction project that will help meet the needs of its passengers, whilst ensuring Dublin Airport can develop as a leading European and transatlantic hub,” said Alejandro Mendoza, director of operations at Sacyr UK, Ireland and Sweden.
Wills Bros contracts manager Aidan McCaul said the company was delighted to be awarded the critical project.
“As a family-run business with over 53 years of experience, our self-delivery model has enabled us to consistently deliver large and complex civil engineering projects across Ireland,” he said.
Wills Bros and Sacyr were previously engaged in a joint venture as part of the SWS Joint Venture to deliver the A6 Dungiven to Drumahoe highway, one of the largest infrastructure projects built to date, delivered for the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland.
