AKL Update: Airfield pavement renewal takes off during downturn

The pandemic has provided an unexpected window for Auckland Airport to accelerate maintenance work with fewer flights making it safer, easier and more cost effective to bring forward scheduled projects.

Last year, Auckland Airport embarked on a three-year period of pavement renewal throughout the airfield. To date this work has seen 365 concrete slabs and over 15,000m2 of asphalt replaced across the airfield’s runway, taxiways and apron.

The downturn in aircraft movements also provided an opportunity to replace sections of the runway in two tranches. The first took place at the eastern touchdown zone, involving the replacement of 280 half-metre-thick slabs of concrete. This project created 150 jobs and took 11 weeks to complete by August 2020.

After the completion of the eastern section, attention moved to the western touchdown zone and the replacement of a further 83 slabs. A 150-strong construction team worked on the project which was completed in December 2020.

Around the international terminal, a $7 million upgrade to the airfield fuel network is well underway.