The rehabilitation of Ireland’s longest
runway, at Shannon Airport, is proving a triumph of logistics as the equivalent
of one football pitch is re-laid between dusk and dawn each night, the airport
has revealed.
Shortly before midnight, following the last arrival/departure at Shannon, a team
of 90 vehicles and 70 people roll in for over four hours work on the 3,200m
runway - among the longest runways in Europe and one of the designated emergency
runways for the Space Shuttle prior to cessation of flights.
By the time they finish and get ready for a ninety minute health and safety
inspection - before early morning flights resume - the team will have laid
enough asphalt to cover an entire football pitch.
The work, which will see the runway right for the next quarter of a century,
commenced in April and by the time it finishes in October, some 50,000 tonnes of
asphalt will be laid - equating to 72 football pitches.
Speaking half way through the works, Shannon Airport Operations Director
Niall Maloney
explained: “It’s quite a complex job because not alone is there a huge volume of
work being done but there’s a huge focus on the clock and, particularly, on
safety. The runway must be open and operational every morning for our first
transatlantic customers before 6a.m. To ensure this happens our own dedicated
Shannon Airport project team, working with our contractor, take 90 minutes to
run all the necessary safety checks before that can happen.
“It’s a well-rehearsed activity by our contractor, Lagan Asphalt. Literally, a
chain of vehicles arrive on site as soon as the last flight is processed.
Planers, tarmacadam trucks, empty lorries, rollers - up to 70 vehicles roll onto
the runway for the works every night. By the time we are finished in October we
will have a brand new surface that will serve the airport and the region for the
next 25 years.”
Shannon Airport Managing Director
Andrew Murphy added: “The project is
part of an overall €20 million plus programme here at Shannon Airport that is
focussed on works at the terminal building itself to the runway. It includes
investment at Gates One to Five, at our duty free shop, our new executive
lounges and also our sensory room.
“Some of the investment is in essential infrastructure assets like the runway,
some in making the airport more aesthetic and pleasurable for our customers. But
altogether it’s about making sure Shannon Airport is a modern, comfortable
airport capable of serving the needs of all our customers and an all-round
enjoyable experience for them.”
The airport’s runway, built in 1961, was last fully rehabilitated in 1983 and
has under gone regular maintenance over the intervening years. The current work
includes resurface and rehabilitation enhancements to Runway 06/24, including
replacement of existing runway lighting and fittings, raising of the drainage
channel, reinstatement of the airfield markings associated ducting and other
minor site works. |