Contractor Farrans Sacyr JV, designer Arup and client Translink have celebrated Belfast Grand Central Station’s topping out ceremony to mark the completion of the main building’s steel frame.
The new transport hub will replace the current Europa bus centre and Great Victoria Street train station with an 8ha site in Weavers Cross, a new neighbourhood in the city centre. As a placemaking project and the largest integrated transport facility on the island of Ireland, the £105M has been funded by the Northern Ireland Department for Infrastructure.
Belfast Grand Central will be a multimodal transport hub with 26 bus ports, eight train platforms and bike lanes to foster sustainable mobility.
Arup was first appointed to the job in 2014 to lead the redevelopment’s entire masterplanning from concept through to design. To bring the dynamic mixed-mode hub to life, Arup’s multidisciplinary teams have included civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, public health, transport planning, facades, acoustics, fire and environmental specialists.
The station has been designed to attain BREEAM and CEEQUAL Excellent accreditation, underling its sustainability credentials.
Ahead of planned completion in 2025, Arup continues to support Translink in the delivery stages of the project’s multi-modal transport facility works. The opening of the Busway Bridge will serve as the next major project milestone, anticipated in August. As a key component of the hub’s redesign, the bridge will integrate public transport modes by allowing buses to cross over railway lines, offering greater connectivity and access to Belfast Grand Central Station’s facilities.
Department for Infrastructure permanent secretary Julie Harrison said: “It is great to see the progress on this important flagship project, which reflects the hard work of the Translink project team, various contractors and suppliers who have got it to this stage.
“The outline of the new station is already a striking addition to the city’s skyline. When complete, the new station will bring a host of benefits to support the local economy and bring together many aspects of how we travel more sustainably, including greener and cleaner travel by bus, rail and cycling.”
Translink chief executive Chris Conway said: “Reaching this momentous point in the construction of Belfast Grand Central Station is a key milestone and I commend the hard work and commitment of everyone who has been involved to bring this project to this stage. It is becoming evident now the facility is taking shape, just how impressive the new station will be once it is complete, and it is certainly attracting a lot of interest.
“When completed in 2025 it will be the largest integrated transport facility on the island of Ireland and will contribute to the social, economic and environmental wellbeing of Northern Ireland and Belfast.”
Farrans Sacyr Joint Venture project director Duane McCreadie said: “Our team, working in collaboration with our client and all partner organisations, has made excellent progress on Belfast Grand Central Station and we remain on programme as we hit the topping out milestone. Everyone involved in this project has played a role in that success to date and I would like to commend them for their hard work and commitment to a high-quality end product, particularly in the face of the challenges that we have faced together.
“Members of the public will now be able to see the size and scale of this impressive structure. We are looking ahead to the future as we move to fit out the interior shell. We will continue to work closely with the local community and our stakeholders as we progress towards the station opening.”
Arup north transport group leader Chris Caves said: “Reaching this milestone moment on Belfast Grand Central Station brings years of design and meticulous planning into view. Arup has been honoured to work on the Flagship Project since its inception. We are proud to be part of the regeneration and future legacy of the area alongside our project partners, ensuring sustainability is at the heart of its development.”
Source：https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/steel-frame-complete-on-belfasts-new-105m-grand-central-station-04-07-2023/
