Engineering firm appointed to manage airport’s €265m ‘open-heart surgery’

Ramboll has been appointed by daa (formerly Dublin Airport Authority) to manage the €265 million West Apron Vehicle Underpass at Dublin Airport.

The complex project set to take place at the centre of the live airfield and described as “open-heart surgery” in a fully operational environment.

The scheme forms part of daa’s €4 billion Capital Investment Programme to improve airfield operations and connectivity. Once complete, the underpass will create an underground link between Pier 3 and the airport’s West Apron, removing the need for vehicles to cross the crosswind runway 16/34.

The project is designed to eliminate a long-standing regulatory constraint and improve safety and efficiency across the airport.

Ann Gordon, Ramboll’s transport market director for the UK and Ireland (Image courtesy of Ramboll)

Ramboll will act as NEC4 project and commercial manager on the scheme, building on its previous role delivering the specimen design and consenting. The company has also been working with daa to develop its NEC4 contract capability, aiming to strengthen governance and delivery standards for large-scale infrastructure projects in Ireland.

Cathal McKenna, regional markets director at Ramboll, said, “Delivering such a technically demanding project, right in the heart of the live airfield, is the very definition of complexity. Importantly, it also resolves a long-standing regulatory safety constraint, unlocking safer and more efficient operations for Dublin Airport.”

The appointment follows Ramboll’s work on the €130 million Apron 5H expansion project, where it supported daa from design through to construction and commissioning.

Ann Gordon, Ramboll’s transport market director for the UK and Ireland, said the project was “more like open-heart surgery than conventional construction” and “a showcase of engineering complexity”.