Work on runway across Adyar takes off

Chennai: The city will by next year have something in common with Atlanta, Brooklyn and Madeira Island -- a runway across a river.
A year from now, aircraft using the secondary runway at Chennai airport will make its run for take-off over a bridge across the Adyar river. Airports Authority of India (AAI) has started construction works to extend the 2,035-metre secondary runway by 1,400 metres, including 835 metres on the northern side of the river.
AAI is getting technical assistance from IIT-Madras because the river is flood-prone. Mumbai airport has an end of its runway across the Mithi river, but this stretch is used only for taxing.
The existing runway ends on the banks of the river. A bridge, to be designed similar to that of a box culvert, will be constructed across the river and the runway will extend over it towards the north. Land filling and levelling works that started December-end are progressing well to meet the 2010 deadline. The state government has acquired 120 acres and handed over to AAI for the project.
The extension of the secondary runway is being carried out at a cost of Rs 430 crore. The runway works without the bridge will cost Rs 230 crore, while construction cost of the bridge is estimated to cost Rs 200 crore," said a senior AAI official.
KGL Constructions has bagged the contract to build the runway excluding the bridge, while a separate contract will be awarded for the bridge construction. "The tender will be awarded very soon," said airport director K Natarajan.
29/01/09 V Ayyappan/Times of India

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Categories: Airports Jan 2009, New Jan 2009