Friday 20 July 2012
The essential maintenance and improvements at Guernsey Airport have reached another significant milestone this week as the main runway re-profiling and resurfacing got under way.
It is the first time the runway has been resurfaced for nearly 40 years. The work, which is taking place after the airport shuts each evening, is expected to take around 12 months to complete. It involves laying a new asphalt surface along the full length of the current runway, at least 12cm thick, to strengthen it and provide a smoother profile.
For the first 10 weeks activity will focus on an area towards the western end, where there is a dip in the runway. This is deep enough that an aircraft at this point on the runway may not be visible to a pilot at the eastern end, and this safety issue has to be addressed through these works.
This is referred to as re-profiling, and will be done by adding new layers on top of one another to gradually build up the level.
Each night a new section will be laid, around 100 metres long. Asphalt 'ramps' are then created to form a smooth link to the rest of the runway, so that the airport can reopen as normal at 6.30 am each day.
Tonight's first task will be to remove last night's ramps, before laying the next new section. This will gradually raise the lowest point of the runway nearly 1½ metres (around 5 feet) above the current level.
At the same time the ground level either side will be adjusted to match the new contours of the runway.
Guernsey Airport's project manager Gerry Prickett said the noisiest element is likely to be when older asphalt and the temporary ramps are mechanically removed, which is the first operation every evening.
"We hope this will be for a couple of hours at most, and the noise should be fairly localised. As with the work up to now, efforts will be made to minimise disturbance, but we apologise in advance for any impact,"
he said.
Guernsey Airport has written to more than 800 neighbours to let them know work is commencing. Mr Prickett said if anyone is experiencing any disturbance as a result of the works they can call the 24-hour helpline and speak to a Lagan representative. The telephone number is 238222.
For further information, please go to Airport2040
Contact information:
Jim Anderson
Projects Liaison Officer
Public Services Department
T: 01481 234692
M: 07781 108325
Email: Jim.Anderson@gov.gg
