SPANISH infrastructure giant Sacyr has been awarded the contract for main works on the new Belfast Transport Hub with local construction outfit Farrans.
The £175 million development will eventually replace the Europa and Great Victoria Street bus and rail stations with 26 new bus stands and eight railway platforms.
There are also more speculative plans to redevelop the 30 acres stretching to the West Link into a £400m office, residential, hospitality, retail and leisure project, known as Weavers Cross.
Co Down construction firm Graham is currently nearing completion on the enabling works at the new transport hub, with Babcock also on site developing the new railway system works.
Announcing the start of the main works, Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon described it as “an economic, social and environmental game changer for Northern Ireland”.
When complete, she said the Belfast Transport Hub will be the largest integrated transport facility on the island of Ireland.
“With an expected annual footfall of over 20 million, this important NI Executive flagship project will bring a host of benefits to support the economy,” she said.
The managing director of the Construction Employers Federation (CEF), Mark Spence, said the commencement of the main works was “a hugely significant moment”.
“After many years of working towards this moment, we are now one major step closer to seeing the completion of this executive flagship scheme which will do so much to transform our public transport infrastructure and create local jobs,” he said.
Farrans and Sacyr are no strangers to major transport projects. The companies are already involved in a joint venture to develop a £210m tram line from Edinburgh Airport.
The Belfast Transport Hub is the latest major project secured by the Madrid-based Sacyr in Northern Ireland. It previously won a major contract for the A6 works with Wills Bros, while its subsidiary company Somague, has been a long-term fixture on the new Ulster University Campus on Belfast’s York Street.
Darrell McGuckian, operations director for Farrans Sacyr JV said: “We are pleased to be taking the next step forward in a project which will be integral in shaping the future of the city and promoting sustainable transport. We have an established relationship with Translink and we will continue our collaborative working approach.”
