Deadline bypassed as Dundalk project proves speedy

Roadworks in Louth were due to be completed next year but early starts and dedication in Logan Earthmoving ensured the target was reached early.

An aerial view of the new Dundalk western bypass

The opening of the new Dundalk western bypass will be a major benefit to the people and businesses of the north-east. Its delivery, five months ahead of schedule, means that road users will save up to 30 minutes on journey times and traffic logjams will be reduced. Equally, with better access to and from Dundalk, local businesses can thrive and jobs in Louth can grow. The completion also means that road users on the M1 Dublin to Belfast route can now travel on continuous motorways from Dublin to Ballymascanlon, a total of over 90kms.”

Fed up of hearing about delays on roads? Frustrated at road works holding you up. Then the above speech may be a little refreshing. Minister Martin Cullen was talking after the opening of the 11km length Dundalk western bypass on Monday, September 26th, 2005.
It was anticipated that the bypass would be opened in February 2006 but finishing ahead of schedule is something the contractor, Ascon Ltd, with its chief subcontractor, Logan Earthmoving, can be proud of. Many projects prove long-winded affairs, with work going well beyond what had been initially intended.

Minister Martin Cullen at the unveiling of the new bypass

Minister Cullen’s address at the opening of the Dundalk western bypass was a testimony to the hard work done by those involved on the bypass, including the hard-working Logan Earthmoving company.
The plant workers have been exceptionally busy over the last number of months. Joe Colfe is the managing director while Gerry Prendergast is the plant manager. Other earthworks personnel involved in the project include foreman Mick Callaghan and contract manager Kevin Crilly. All will be delighted at the speed at which the project was finished.

Around 150 work at the plant and the company had previously undertaken a number of projects across the country.
Sean Riordan, a recent graduate in quantity surveying, was employed as the junior quantity surveyor for the project. Previously he worked with a Kildare-based building company. Logan Earthmoving had already worked on various projects before starting in Dundalk.
“Previously I was with Regan Moloney, a contracting firm who were in Maynooth.

Logan Earthmoving worked on a number of other important projects. These included the relief road in Sligo and also the landfill in Knockharley, near Ashbourne as well as the development of the fabulous facilities present at Naas GAA,” he says.

Minister Cullen cuts the ribbon to officially open the bypass

The company’s working day began at the crack of dawn and the Dundalk project was a busy time for their trucks, as he explains.
“At the height of the project in Dundalk, there were 15 A40s, 4 A20 ton dumpers, 20 diggers as well as some compactors. As an earthworks contractor, you are a constant victim to the weather. Everything is pre-determined by it, as progress is entirely more rapid during good weather. This is evident throughout as work was started as soon as it was bright, and concluded at dark. What separates the good from the great is production during poor weather though, and that is where strong leadership and experience comes in,” he says.

Logan is part of the holding company owned by Ascon. Previously Tommy Logan and son in Naas owned Logan with Ascon taking over in 1999 and the company logos changed in 2004. The logos now reflect those of their parent company, the royal BAM group, formerly the Hollandsche Beton Group (HBG).

The Ascon group is currently working on the N6 bypass in Kinnegad/Kilbeggan and has also done a number of projects on the south-eastern motorway, which extends the M50 as far as the Wicklow border, as well as most of the M1 from the airport to beyond Dundalk. As the earthworks contractor within Ascon, Logan carried out contracts in Ballyogan (landfill site), a few small sites in Celbridge and did landscaping in Intel, Leixlip.

Ascon Ltd was established in 1958 and prides itself on delivering quality projects safely, on time. The group has been awarded a number of important certificates in recent years. They include the Independent Certification of Health & Safety Management systems for the Construction Industry and the CPD accreditation from the Institute of Engineering in Ireland.
In 2004 one of Ascon’s employees were awarded the Construction Manager of the year award.

They sub-contract to Aidan Slevin’s plant (Castleblayney), Four and Nine Excavation (Drogheda) and Reillys (Ballyjamesduff).
During the project in Dundalk, Ascon Ltd absorbed Logan Earthmoving. With this in mind, if they can continue to work at the pace they have done the Dundalk work, the future looks bright for Ascon.