Client
DAA (Dublin Airport Authority)
In JV with SACYR
Client’s Designer
IDOM
Construction Period
March 2025 – Ongoing
Budget
€250-300M
Project Overview
This is a joint venture contract between SACYR and Wills Bros.
Significant project that marks an exciting milestone in Dublin Airport’s long-term infrastructure development strategy. The project includes the design and construction of a 1.1 km twin-cell tunnel beneath key operational areas of the airport, including the Cross Runway and four taxiways, connecting Pier 3 to the West Apron. 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.
The project will draw on our extensive experience in ground engineering and large-scale civil works. Construction is scheduled for completion by August 2030, with work carefully planned to ensure minimal disruption to the airport’s daily operations.
Wills Bros are delighted to be part of another transformative development that strengthens Ireland’s infrastructure and connectivity. This achievement reflects the hard work, professionalism and commitment of our entire Wills Bros team and reinforces our reputation for delivering high-quality, sustainable engineering solutions.
Key Numbers
- Design and construction of an underpass below runway 16/34 to provide direct vehicular access between the West and East campus.
- A bidirectional two-lane single-cell underpass will be constructed using cut-and-cover techniques.
- The underpass alignment will be at the centre of the airfield linking Pier 3 to the Western campus directly.
- This alignment optimises the functionality of the underpass by locating it a central area of the campus, with ease of access via the internal road network from the north and south apron.
- 210m long ramp will provide access to the underpass from the northern side of Pier 3.
- The underpass will run below the existing Taxiway 4 and F2 before reaching the Runway 16/34, will then continue under taxiways H2 and M2 and will then ramp up another 140m to surface level at the West Apron beside the envisaged future west satellite.
- The overall dimensions to the underpass will be 4.55 m headroom by 5 m lane width with maintenance sidewalks either side.
- This underpass alignment results in the need for a reconfiguration of aircraft stands and access roads in Pier 3.
- The enabling project of Pier 3 requires the realignment of stands 311 to 314 with a net gain of +1 narrow body stand.
- The installation of 3 fixed links with elevated walkways that cross over the new underpass ramp will be required to access some of the new reconfigured stand.
