Ireland's National Roads Authority (NRA) has announced plans to launch tender processes to develop eight toll roads through public private partnership (PPP) projects.

The eight projects along with three pilot projects include a total of 230 km of roads. The total projects investment is estimated at £1.03 billion (US$1.53 billion). The private sector is expected to provide about £700 million (US$1.04 billion).

The projects are the following:

• Dundalk western bypass on the N1/M1 route including tolling of the Boyne Bridge (11 km);
• Clonee-Kells on the N3 Dublin-Monaghan route (45 km);
• Kilcock-Kinnegad and Oranmore road on the N4 Galway-Dublin route (59 km);
• Portlaoise-Castletown and Nenagh-Limerick on the N7 Limerick-Dublin route (50 km);
• Portlaoise-Culahill and the Fermoy bypass on the N8 Cork-Dublin route (39 km);

The PPP projects will involve the design, build, finance, operation and maintenance (DBFOM) of the new roads for a period of 30 years.

Last week we reported that the Jack Lynch Tunnel/Dunkettle interchange in Cork, Ireland, could be upgraded through a public private partnership (PPP) project due to lack of government funding. The total project investment is estimated at €90 million (US$95.2 million).

Last month the NRA selected a team composed by BAM PPP, PGGM and Iridium (ACS) as the preferred bidder for the M11 Gorey to Enniscorthy PPP Scheme. The project, which will be developed on a design, build, finance and operation (DBFO) basis, involves the construction of about 40 km of new roads. The total project investment is estimated at €200 million (US$211.7 million).