Punch Consulting Engineers, a subsidiary of Danish engineering consultancy Cowi, has been appointed by Evara Developments to progress the detailed design and tender stages of the Newbridge South Outer Orbital Road in County Kildare, as reported by New Civil Engineer. The scheme includes about 790m of new single-carriageway road and a 170m, five-span bridge over the River Liffey, connecting the Great Connell and Kilbelin areas.

The wider scheme also covers junction improvements, drainage and utility works, walking and cycling facilities and a 9.2ha riverside park with recreational facilities, biodiversity measures and sustainable water management features, according to Kildare Now.

Punch previously provided civil and structural engineering expertise that supported the project through planning, with permission granted in 2023, as stated by the Kildare Nationalist.

Tender documents are targeted for release by the end of the year, with construction expected to start in 2027 and complete in the final quarter of 2028.

Punch managing director Tim Murnane said: “We’re very pleased to continue our work on this important project. It is a complex scheme, bringing together a major new River Liffey crossing with road, drainage, active travel and environmental infrastructure.”

Murnane added: “Getting that integration right will be key to delivering a scheme that works for Newbridge and supports the development planned around it.”

Cowi senior vice president Eva MacInnes said: “Punch has built a strong reputation for delivering complex infrastructure and, as part of Cowi, we can build on that expertise and support clients on increasingly ambitious projects across the country.”

The structural driver is planned residential growth in the Newbridge area, which the road and bridge are designed to support by improving access to development lands.

MacInnes added: “There is a significant pipeline of infrastructure investment ahead in Ireland and projects like this show the scale of the opportunity.”

For the sector, the appointment keeps the design team that supported the scheme through planning in place for detailed design and tender, with Evara Developments advancing the project in partnership with Kildare County Council.