The A8 Project team has been awarded Gold for an extraordinary performance on the A8 Dualling Belfast to Larne project in Northern Ireland.
The complicated nature of the project has meant that the design and construction to upgrade 14 kilometres of main road into dual carriageways required special planning and community arrangements. The Project Team’s efforts did not go unnoticed by the Considerate Constructor’s Scheme which has awarded them Gold for their achievements.
The total size of the works area meant that a large number of homes and businesses could potentially be affected by site operations. It was therefore vital for the site team to perform a detailed study of each part of the area to ensure that all interested parties were consulted and informed. On-going communication was of an equally high order, and included many community associations, resulting in productive dialogue with neighbours.
In addition to a full environmental survey at the start of the project, regular visits were made by external consultants and ecologists to ensure both wildlife and vegetation was properly cared for. Cleanliness was a further site priority, with hardcore areas and power-washers helping ensure that mud was kept from leaving the site. Frequent inspections, clean-downs and litter picks of the surroundings gave a particularly impressive external presentation.
The Considerate Constructors inspector stated that “there were many instances of goodwill gestures plus archaeology visits for schools and support for angling clubs. The overall result was an extremely professional operation which set extremely high standards of considerate site practices”.
Started in 1997, the Considerate Constructors Scheme operates voluntary Codes of Considerate Practice, to which participating construction sites and companies register. The Scheme is a non-profit-making, independent organisation founded by the industry to improve its image.
Ferrovial Agroman has been very active in the Irish market, in which it has been present since 2002 with the award of the M4/M6 Kinnegad to Kilcock highway and the M3 Clonee to North of Kells highway, the largest infrastructure project tendered in Ireland.
The A8 project was awarded in 2012 to the consortium formed by Ferrovial Agroman, Lagan, and Costain.
