A northern construction company, John Graham, from Dromore, Co Down has won a £51 million contract from the Government to build an 11-mile stretch of motorway between Dunleer and Dundalk in Co Louth in a joint venture with Uniform Construction of Lucan, Co Dublin. The work on upgrading the Belfast-Dublin route will begin before Christmas and is due for completion in 2001.

Mr Michael Graham, group managing director of John Graham, said his company and Uniform Construction pooled their resources and their expertise to win the lucrative contract. Mr Graham said this was the company first's major contract in the Republic. Its last job near Dunleer was in 1923 when it carried out work for Great Northern Railways.

John Graham, which employs 350 people, has been running since the 1700s. At the height of the work, the company expected to directly employ 150-200 people on site, as well as sub-contracting some work, he added.