Chennai airport runway to be redone
Rs40 crore project would involve dismantling, excavation work, facilitating provisions
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2014-11-02 03:34 GMT
Chennai: The much delayed proposal to relay the runway at the Chennai airport is finally set to take off with airport authorities calling for tenders to resurface the runway as well as the connecting taxiways. “The tender action is in hand. After the tender process is over, the work will be awarded. We propose to complete the work within a period of nine months,” the official said. He added that the project, at a cost of about Rs40 crore, would involve dismantling, excavation work, facilitating provisions for other electrical works like lighting and communication.
The 12,000-feet long-runway was last resurfaced in the year 2003 and is at present closed for two hours in the afternoon on every Tuesday and Saturday to facilitate maintenance work. The official said despite the resurfacing work, alternate arrangements to manage the disruption of flight operations would be in place.“There will not be any disturbance to the traffic movement.
The runway work is being undertaken in phases between 10.00 hrs to 18.00 hrs after which the runway will be handed over for regular operation. During this period, the secondary runway will be put into operation,” he said. At present, a secondary runway across Adyar river, extended to 2,200 metres at a cost of Rs450 crore, is operational since May this year, but it has been mired in controversy with aviation experts raising doubts over its safety aspect.