Skip to main content

UGL wins Australia’s NorthConnex M&E services contract

Engineering services provider UGL has signed a four-year deal with the Lend Lease Bouygues joint venture that is building the NorthConnex motorway in Sydney, Australia. The US$329 million contract is for the design, procurement, construction and commissioning of the electrical, mechanical, communication, fire and control systems needed for the project’s 9km twinned tolled tunnel. UGL provides outsourced engineering, asset management and maintenance services to rail, transport, power, resources, water an
September 7, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
Engineering services provider UGL has signed a four-year deal with the Lend Lease 979 Bouygues joint venture that is building the NorthConnex motorway in Sydney, Australia.

The US$329 million contract is for the design, procurement, construction and commissioning of the electrical, mechanical, communication, fire and control systems needed for the project’s 9km twinned tolled tunnel.

UGL provides outsourced engineering, asset management and maintenance services to rail, transport, power, resources, water and defence sectors. The group has revenue in excess of US$1.6 billion, employing over 8,000 people, including subcontractors, across Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia.

The tunnels will have two lanes and a breakdown lane in each direction, as well as a height clearance of 5.3m with a speed limit of 80 km/h. The project will cost in the region of $3 billion in all and will be Australia’s longest road tunnel when the link opens to traffic. The construction budget of $2.65 billion is in addition to land and project delivery costs, is funded through toll charges with a contribution from the NSW and federal governments of up to $405 million each.

It was announced this summer that 325 Sandvik is supplying tunnelling machinery for the project.

Federal assistant infrastructure minister Jamie Briggs and NSW roads minister Duncan Gay gave the project the green light only in January, ending a decade of consideration and planning.

NorthConnex will join the M1 Pacific Highway at Wahroonga to the Hills M2 Motorway at Pennant Hills. It is a joint project between the M7 Westlink Shareholders, 891 Transurban, the Australian federal and the New South Wales state governments.

When complete, it will link Sydney's north to the Orbital network and form part of the National Highway route.

Lend Lease is globally operating Australian construction company and Bouygues is one of the largest construction companies in the world, with its headquarters located in France. Their 50-50 joint venture was formed originally to construct the East West Link project in Melbourne and NorthConnex. The group was the successful bidder on both projects, but following the cancellation of the East West Link project the focus switched to NorthConnex.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • India rushing to improve its highway system
    February 9, 2012
    Despite the world economic slowdown, India still seems in a rush to improve its highway system as Patrick Smith reports. Later this year India will be seen by hundreds of millions worldwide when the country's capital New Delhi hosts its biggest event ever.
  • BAM wins motorway deals in The Hague and Munich
    December 7, 2015
    The Dutch city of The Hague has awarded a BAM joint venture with a €300 million design, construction and maintenance contract for a 4km city road. The new connecting road will run between the motorway at the Ypenburg interchange, A4 and A13, and The Hague’s Central Zone of Binckhorst-Centrum-Scheveningen. Construction will start in mid-2016 and the road is expected to be open by early 2020. The Rotterdamsebaan will make The Hague and its immediate region better accessible by connecting the A4 /A13
  • Australia's huge transport investment
    February 29, 2012
    The Australian Government is allocating additional funding to renew its infrastructure and to improve transport in the major cities work in its 2011-12 budget.
  • New South Wales road refurbishment project planned
    November 3, 2022
    A New South Wales road refurbishment project is being planned.