Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) and Skyway, a joint venture between BMD Constructions and CPB Contractors (a member of the CIMIC Group), have completed Brisbane Airport’s new runway. Designated 01L/19R, it is 10,826ft (3,300m) long and will officially open on July 12.
BAC CEO Gert-Jan de Graaff said that while the milestone marked the end of the project, it was just the beginning for Brisbane Airport (IATA: BNE): “In many respects this runway is symbolic of the very firm belief we have that aircraft will, in the not too distant future, return to the skies and our terminals will once again be full of happy people looking forward to visiting their families, [taking] their holidays or [travelling] to do business.
“The last few months have been difficult for everyone in the aviation and travel industries, as well as the whole community, but we have never lost sight of the fact that this project has been built for the long term. It will serve us well for many decades to come.
“This is a culmination of eight years of physical construction, many years before that in planning, and foresight from nearly half-a-century ago for an airport with the growth capacity to meet the aspirations of the city and the state.”
Mr De Graaff said thousands of people had worked on the project over the decades and thanked and congratulated them for their contribution to one of Queensland’s most important construction projects in memory: “I must commend the entire new runway team for putting their heart and souls into this project over the last 15 years. Every step of the way the BAC team has been supported by many partners, suppliers and contractors who have contributed to this project. This truly is a project built by the community for the community.
We have never lost sight of the fact that this project has been built for the long term
Gert-Jan de Graaff, BAC
“This new runway is so much more than asphalt. It is an enabler for recovery and growth across all facets of business, with an estimated 7,800 new jobs created by 2035 and an additional AU$5 billion in annual economic benefit to the region.
“Now more than ever, it is crucial that we have the infrastructure and mechanisms in place to allow our great city and state to recover from the COVID-19 global pandemic.”
More than 3,740 people worked on the project, with a peak of 650 people on-site in mid-2019. There were 324 different subcontractors engaged, 90% of which were based in South East Queensland, putting in approximately 3.3 million man-hours. The new facility was completed under budget at AU$1.1 billion, a saving of AU$200 million on initial estimates.
Skyway joint venture’s project director, Graeme Fenemore, said the project was a significant engineering feat over several years and a tribute to the dedicated project team, who worked diligently to always put safety first: “I am extremely proud to be handing over Brisbane’s new runway ahead of programme, on budget and with an exemplary safety record of zero lost time injuries.”
