BNE completes 15M runway overlay project

Essential resurfacing of BNE’s main runway has been completed after nearly six months of night works involving up to 100 personnel and 60 items of plant and equipment per shift. Around 200,000 work hours and 18,000 tonnes of asphalt have been employed in this project, at an investment of more than $15 million.

Time lapse vision of BNE’s runway overlay project can be viewed here.

The resurfacing, which was conducted between midnight and 5am up to six nights a week, replaced the existing 11 year old asphalt in the touchdown zones at either end of the runway with asphalt produced onsite at a specially constructed mobile batch plant. The new asphalt will provide a high quality runway surface for at least the next 10 years.

The installation of new aeronautical ground lighting and asphalt grooving was also completed as part of the project.Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) CEO and Managing Director Julieanne Alroe praised the project and construction teams for the military like operations during the project which resulted in no unplanned disruption to aircraft operations at BNE.

“The planning for this project started in February 2012 meaning the handful of larger airline operators impacted by the overnight works were given 12 months’ notice to adjust schedules accordingly,” Ms Alroe said.“The runway is our primary asset so it was essential the work schedule ran like clockwork each night ensuring the runway was open for morning flights at 5am and the contractors met this brief to the minute rain, hail or shine,” Ms Alroe said.

The remaining central section of the runway including rapid exit taxiways, which are currently in good condition, will be regularly inspected with the intention to overlay in 2015 or if and when required.

“This project is an example of BAC’s commitment to maintaining and developing one of Brisbane and Queensland’s most critical piece of public infrastructure,” Ms Alroe said.