A Northern Ireland construction company is celebrating its role in two major infrastructure projects in Ireland.

Lagan Construction said the openings of the A1 Beech Hill to Cloghogue dual carriageway at Newry and the new Limerick tunnel were “major achievements” for the firm. It employed 350 people on the projects over the past four years.

The Newry bypass was commissioned by the Roads Service in December 2007 and was completed five months ahead of schedule.

The project was delivered by Amey Lagan Roads, with the new works undertaken by Lagan Ferrovial, a joint venture between Lagan Construction and Ferrovial Agroman Ireland. The bypass is set to reduce Belfast to Dublin journey times to just under |two hours.

South of the border, the €400m Limerick tunnel construction project was delivered three months early on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis by DirectRoute Limerick, a consortium made up of Lagan Construction, John Sisk & Son, Strabag and Roadbridge.

The tunnel will divert 40,000 vehicles a day from Limerick city centre.

Gerry Cawley, Lagan projects managing director, director of Amey Lagan Roads and chairman of DirectRoute Limerick, said: “The openings of the Newry Bypass and the Limerick Tunnel represent significant developments in road safety, travel times and traffic congestion in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, boosting our economies and helping to improve life in our communities.”