It’s not every day you get the opportunity to build a drive- thru for McDonald’s. Located at The Junction, a popular retail park in Antrim, the new drive-thru was built by Killowen Contracts in a package that included the construction of the outer shell building and all associated specialist cladding and services.
All civil works incorporating hard and soft external landscaping, signage, lighting and drainage were also included.
Completed in November 2018 the new 24-hour, dual lane drive- thru, which is the 30th outlet in Northern Ireland and the first in Antrim, has created about 100 new jobs for the region. Its construction signalled the start of a significant £30million expansion of the retail park. Over 20 new shops, cafes, restaurants and drive-thrus have been earmarked for the site, with work currently ongoing. The redevelopment and landscaping is set to make The Junction Northern Ireland’s largest shopping and leisure destination.
This is the first project for McDonald’s that Killowen Contracts has been involved in. A unique job to work on, Paul McClorey and the rest of the team were delighted to be involved.
“Despite the challenges that cropped up during construction, we managed to complete the project on time and under budget. It was an interesting job to work on and we look forward to working with the client again in the future,” said Paul.
The drive-thru is located in the existing carpark at The Junction. “We were also tasked with creating a new roundabout on the road. The road was also slightly reconfigured to accommodate the new McDonald’s,” said Paul. The contract awarded to Killowen was extensive; drainage, site works, steel frame, roof and cladding. As with all McDonald’s outlets, very specific cladding materials were required for the building’s exterior.
“There was quite a long lead-in time for some of the materials. The cladding used on all McDonald’s stores is very specific and we had to comply with all specifications. The brick slips at the bottom of the wall came from a UK company called Eurobrick while the Trespa panels were supplied by JP Corry. We installed them ourselves on site.”
Other materials specified for the drive-thru included Reynobond cladding. Metal studs were placed in between the steel frame, with plywood then applied.
“The different finishes were then fixed onto the plywood. This was the process specified by the client. A Kingspan roof was also part of the brief; it’s a flat roof construction inside a parapet with all the McDonald’s plant sitting on top of that flat roof.”
Killowen Contracts was responsible for bringing the mains gas supply and mains electric into the building which consists of three outlets. The biggest challenge for Paul and the team at Killowen was coordinating all the lead-in times for the various specialist materials that were required for the building’s exterior.
“It was a very tight programme but we’re well used to that at Killowen Contracts; most projects have a very specific, tight deadline. The challenge was coordinating the lead-in times for the specialist products specified by the client. Thanks to a collaborative approach by all the teams on-site, the actual build process ran very smoothly.” With a representative from McDonald’s in the UK travelling to the site every six to eight weeks, some changes were required throughout the construction period.
“That did necessitate some changes but nothing particularly difficult. This was a great project to work on; it presented its own unique set of challenges but through a programme of coordination and a determination to meet the tight deadline, we were successful. We also came in under budget which was another big plus!”
Killowen Contracts Ltd, 35 Bridge Road, Burren, Newry, BT34 3QT
T: 028 4175 3378
E: construction@killowencontracts.co.uk
W: www.killowencontracts.co.uk
Sub Contractors
Mechanical services specialists, Devlin Mechanical, brought its knowledge and expertise to the new McDonald’s drive-thru at The Junction in Antrim. Hugh Scullion, Quantity Surveyor at the company, along with the rest of his team installed gas and water mains services from the adjacent site into the building and left it ready for the fit-out contractor to connect.
Once the gas meter box was installed, Devlin Mechanical connected onto it and brought the pipework underground.
“After connection, we left the mains water ready to connect onto any further units that are developed in the future.”
An already established close working relationship with Killowen Contracts meant the entire process ran smoothly.
“We were delighted to be involved with this project. We’ve worked with Killowen on several other projects and we look forward to continuing that relationship.”
T: 028 796 50401
W: www.devlinmechanical.com
Fortress SEFA was responsible for the supply and installation of aluminium screens and glass at the new McDonald’s Restaurant and Drive Thru at The Junction in Antrim.
Framing was suppled from the Kawneer UK 451PT thermally efficient framing system and double-glazed with low ‘E’ energy efficient glass with argon filled cavity for added energy efficiency. This system, combined with large areas of energy efficient glass, allow for plenty of natural lighting to create a warm and comfortable environment inside the restaurant.
The use of thermally efficient framing systems is becoming ever more popular to help meet the strict thermal requirements of modern buildings and Fortress SEFA is able to achieve these using the Kawneer system along with the APS, Aluprof, Metal Technology and Schuco systems. The wide range of systems available to Fortress SEFA helps the company to meet the architect’s and ultimately the client’s needs for any size of project.
Alongside the glazing elements, Fortress SEFA is also able to offer high security steel doors, roller shutters, internal partitions and fire curtains. This wide product portfolio offered by Fortress SEFA allows the company to offer main contractors the choice of one sub-contractor to meet multiple aspects of the modern building.
T: 028 9034 2655
W: www.fortress-sefa.com
Established in 1954, Tullyraine Quarries Ltd is a third generation family run quarrying and civil engineering contracting company. Having worked on several projects with Killowen Contracts in the past, particularly in the health sector in Belfast, Tullyraine Quarries was the ideal choice when it came to surfacing the carpark at the new McDonald’s at The Junction in Antrim.
At 2,000sq m, surfacing the carpark was a substantial project for the company. The job was completed to an extremely high level which made for a very satisfied client. “McDonald’s actually went for a different surface than what they usually go for on their carparks. They opted for SMA (Stone Mastic Asphalt) and were so happy with the end result that they’ve decided to go with it on future projects,” said James McCartan at Tullyraine Quarries.
For a company well used to working across a variety of industries, the McDonald’s job didn’t present Tullyraine with any specific challenges.
“As with any project, we had to work around various timescales and hit the target when required but we’re well used to that so it was no problem. We were delighted to work on this project and proud of how well it has turned out.”
Based at its Banbridge quarry, Tullyraine Quarries extracts aggregates for the production of high PSV crushed aggregates. James McCartan and the rest of the team at the company also produce bituminous materials from two batching plants, which are available to both public and private sector clients, in addition to the company’s own civil engineering production and waste disposal practices.
Tullyraine Quarries, 122 Dromore Road, Banbridge, Co. Down, BT32 4EG
W: www.tullyrainequarries.co.uk
JP Corry supplied the new McDonald’s drive- thru at The Junction in Antrim with high quality, tried and trusted Trespa cladding.
“This was a big project for us; we also supplied the cladding pre-cut to specific sizes to suit the building,” said Chris Mc Comb, Specialist Sales Manager at JP Corry.
The team has worked with Killowen Contracts on other jobs and thanks to that close relationship, the project ran smoothly. Deliveries were made to site as and when they were needed, allowing the project to meet its tight deadline.
T: 028 9024 3661
W: www.jpcorry.com
GH Paving provided its specialist services to the new McDonald’s Drive-Thru at The Junction in Antrim. A local family-run business, GH Paving was selected for the project thanks to its extensive experience and dedication to ensuring the highest quality finish.
The company offers a professional and hassle free service including paving, kerbing, stone cladding and landscaping services.
Gary Hammond and the rest of the team at GH Paving have worked on a variety of projects across Northern Ireland and are known for their excellent workmanship.
T: 07933 670576
With over 30 years’ experience across a range of projects throughout Ireland, O’Hare Steel was the perfect choice when it came to the steel element of the new McDonald’s drive-thru.
The company was tasked with the supply and fit of structural steel and cold rolled products at the drive-thru at The Junction.
The supply and fit of the canopy frame completed the package. A collaborative approach amongst all teams on site and a dedication to delivering the highest quality project allowed O’Hare Steel to complete yet another top quality job.
T: 028 3085 1637
W: www.oharesteel.com
Concrete Impressions provided its bespoke specialist services at the new McDonald’s drive-thru.
“The colours that we use are the only ones on the market that are guaranteed to BSIF standard; they never colour fade,” said Jerome Mallon, Concrete Impressions.
The job included placing the concrete, setting the ironwork, applying the colour hardener and then printing it.
“There are very few companies in Ireland offering this service. We actually worked on the very first McDonald’s in Northern Ireland 40 years ago, along with the first in the Republic of Ireland.”
T: 028 3753 8567
W: www.concreteimpressionsireland.com
