Latest update of the airport runway upgrade project
Project Manager Craig Smart
The Niue Hannan International Airport upgrade project is progressing well according to project manager Craig Smart but the wet weather is having an impact.
BCN news spoke with Mr. Smart this morning to provide the latest update of the project. He says that the crew is currently working on three fronts: the airfield perimeter, the compound site and the quarry.
“We are continuing to work within the airfield perimeter to lay the ducting for the future improvements to the airport ground lighting and that work is going very well. The second thing we are doing, we are preparing our site compound for the asphalt plant and other facilities onsite. The third front we are working on is at the quarry.”
“The quarry is a very important aspect of the project and we plan this year to get all the aggregate prepared and in a stockpile ready for making the asphalt lay on the airport next year”, says Mr. Smart.
Most of the quarry equipment and explosives arrived on the ship last month. The last lot of equipment will arrive in the upcoming ship this month, says Mr. Smart.
At the moment, the quarry is setting up and preparing for the first blast (process of fracturing rocks) in the second week of June. There is no set date as of yets says Mr. Smart but it will be happening next month and following that will be intensive work for three to four months.
They are also looking for experienced operational truck and machinery drivers as the project progresses with the crew they have at the moment.
Meanwhile, Mr. Smart would also like to inform the public to keep out and be aware of heavy machinery at the quarry and the fronts they are working on.
