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

  • Electrical tender launched for Fehmarn tunnel
    February 10, 2021
    The winner must set up a renewable energy centre for its work.
  • World Highways contributor Max Lay wins Peter Nicol Russell award
    December 9, 2014
    The Institution of Engineers Australia has awarded World Highways contributor Dr Maxwell Lay the prestigious Peter Nicol Russell medal for his contribution to science and engineering. According to the citation, the medal is the most prestigious award made by the institution. “The recipient represents the technical, professional and community service standards of engineering to the profession and the community.” May received degrees at Melbourne University and the US university Lehigh in Pennsylvania.
  • Financing sought for Australia tunnel project
    December 13, 2018
    Financing is being sought in Australia for the a major tunnel project in New South Wales. The project is for the Western Harbour Tunnel, which is intended to run underneath Sydney Harbour. The route for the proposed tunnel would rund from the Rozelle interchange to the Warringah Freeway. The tunnel project forms part of a wider plan to build new road links in Sydney, in a bid to help reduce the city’s traffic problem. The new tunnel would lower journey times for drivers by cutting congestion on the famous S
  • Italian JV wins Denmark’s Storstrom Bridge construction deal
    October 27, 2017
    An Italian joint venture has won the construction contract for Denmark’s replacement 4km-long road and rail Storstrom Bridge. The Danish Road Directorate – Vejdirektoratet - awarded the work to contractors Itinera, Condotte and Grandi Lavori Fincosit along with bridge design consultant Seteco Ingegneria as a subcontractor. Estimated cost is around €280 million for the 26m-wide single-support cable-stay structure. The European Union will subsidise the work to around €15 million.