We are delighted to announce that the NRA Motorway Service Areas has been shortlisted for ‘Innovative Project of the Year’ as part of the ACEI Annual Excellence Awards 2014. The Motorway Service Areas project has been placed in the Large Projects category (over €10 Million).

The Project
The construction of the motorway network in the period 2000 to 2010 has dramatically changed the driving experience in Ireland. An integral part of any quality motorway network is the provision of suitable services and facilities for road users to avail of at reasonable intervals. In mid-2007 the National Roads Authority (NRA), with Barry Transportation acting as consulting engineers, began to develop a policy and set about planning the implementation of the Motorway Service Areas (MSA) programme.

The first Tranche of MSAs, procured as a Public Private Partnership, are located on the M1 at Lusk and Castlbellingham, and on the M4 at Enfield. After a lengthy procurement process and despite a number of difficulties during construction the Tranche 1 MSAs were delivered on time, within budget and to a standard of quality which met or in some instances exceeded the contract specification. The design and construction of each MSA required engineering inputs across the full range of disciplines including civil works, roads, mechanical and electrical, water, wastewater and structural.

Further MSAs are planned throughout the motorway network - the MSA at Gorey is currently under construction and MSAs at Athlone and Kilcullen are expected to go to construction later this year.

The success of the Tranche 1 MSAs is such that they now form an intrinsic part of the M1 and M4 motorways. The experience gained in planning, designing and constructing these MSAs can be applied in the development of all future MSA facilities, either private or public.