Signals of completing repair works at Abuja airport runway before schedule emerge
A tour of the runway reconstruction site at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport by select journalists including Abuja Bureau Chief of Business Hilights has shown that rather than six weeks as proposed by the government, the repair works may end earlier than said.
Already, Julius Berger Plc, the contractor handling the N5bn rehabilitation work of the Airport, runway has commenced work on a day and night basis.
Visit to the airport indicate that both workers and equipment have been fully deployed on the runway with major work underway.
Almost key sections for excavations are nearing completion and all needed machinery and personnel are working to specifications.
Deputy General Manager/Head of Department, Civil Engineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, Mallam Nuhu Mustapha, said that the work had commenced as soon as the airport was shut.
He added that the contractor had shown that it would complete the work as planned; stressing that there are chances of delivery the runway before schedule.
An expatriate engineer who pleaded anonymity told our correspondent that the error leading to the present deterioration was committed some 14 years ago when the runway was professionally due for reconstruction. He said “from the initial delivery specifications of the runway, it was designed and built to last for 20 years ab-initio but due to complacency, it was overused for another 14 years before the tears and wears started to pose danger to both landing and taking off flights”.
“From our job specification, what we are doing now will effectively serve for only 10 years, meaning that similar repairs will be done around 2027 or so.
He explained that the runway, which had a total length of 3.6 kilometers had been divided into three parts by Julius Berger with the plan to complete each of the one third in two weeks each.
The engineer revealed that the depth of the middle portion to be removed is 17 centimetre because the landing is always in the middle, that’s where the aircraft lands.
“That is why we feel that the middle has more structural problem and that is why we are cutting deeper to solve that problem before we put the asphalt.
“The runway was opened in 1982 and no major work has been done on it in almost 35 years after, this is the first major work that is being done on it sine construction.
Another official explained further that the mailing (digging) of the first 1,200 metres has been done within one week, later on the asphalts will be laid and then the electric light fitting will be fixed.
“The length of the runway is 3.6 kilometres but so far, we have mailed one third of it, which is 1,200 metres and they are going to finish the mailing of this part today.
“We will work on that one third, mail it, put asphalt and the electrical fittings then move on to the second and third part.
“They have done the scan part of the mailing and the contractor said they are going to finish it as scheduled,” he said.
Mustapha also disclosed that the major work would be carried out on the middle portion of the runway which is 20 metres of the total 45 meters width of the runway.
The middle portion would be mailed (cut) by an average 17 centimeters deeper underground to address the defects.
