Background
In 2007, an Amey consortium was awarded the 30-year, DBFO Package 2 Contract by the Department for Infrastructure. It was the largest ever highways scheme to be awarded in Northern Ireland - to improve the road links between Belfast, Dublin and Ballygawley.
Amey Roads NI was established to manage and deliver the contract. Major highways construction works continued for four years until 2011, building 40km of new dual carriageway, 59 new bridges and 4 new grade separated junctions, upgrading central reserve safety barriers and delivering considerable improvements to the single carriageway roads.
Approach
The concession is now in Year 15 of the Operations phase of the contract, due to end in 2037. The Operations phase sees Amey Roads NI Limited (The Client) maintain around 540 lane kilometres of Northern Ireland’s strategic road network to meet the O&M requirements and achieve the handback requirements. Amey Consulting act as the Lifecycle Management Services Provider, managing and advising the financial, programming and technical aspects of the contract, including short, medium and long-term asset management.
Amey Transport Infrastructure, act as the Operations and Maintenance Contractor, responsible for emergency response, winter maintenance , and the day-to-day upkeep of all highway assets, including 19,000 gullies, 1,300 signs, 1,100 streetlights, 140 bridges and 270km of barrier
Outcomes
- Amey Consulting provide full design services to the Client and the Department for Infrastructure. We have a robust review procedure in place which minimises technical risk to the Client, where we submit design proposals for approval before construction works commence on site. Technical advisors review the project every six months to ensure compliance to any agreed models.
- In 2021 Amey Roads NI Ltd became the 1st Client organisation to achieve BSi Kitemark against ISO 19650-3. Our BIM Routine Maintenance Management System (RMMS) allow us to better plan works to optimise traffic management and reduce disruption to the travelling public, incorporating Mobile Mapping Data to create a digital twin of the network and helps us advise optimum maintenance regimes and demonstrate compliance to the Client.
- 60% of the bridge structures are existing, built in the 1960s and 70s, which brings with it the risk management of these aging assets. Structural health monitoring has been commissioned on key concrete motorway overbridge structures to facilitate informed design and maintenance decisions. Our design team installed bridge number plates with QR code functionality, which enable our operational team to scan and retrieve live bridge information such as inventory, inspection reports, bridge condition ratings and maintenance history.
- Amey Roads NI Ltd is one the first 2 organisations to receive the BS 19650-3 certification globally