The newly improved Niue Hanan International Airport runway has been given another 30 years of life.
Acting Premier and Minister of Infrastructure Hon. Crossley Tatui says the Niue Government recognizes the significant milestone and asset for the island. He is most grateful to the Government of New Zealand and her people.
Minister Tatui, New Zealand High Commissioner to Niue H.E Helen Tunnah and Downer Contractors took a tour of the newly improved runway on Monday.
“We’ve got the contractors on the ground who were able to work together with us and H.E Helen Tunnah all this time despite the impacts of Covid-19, changing weather patterns, more rain than we are used to encounter, we finally made it with all the great effort and contribution,” said Hon. Tatui.
Downer’s Project Manager -Craig Smart explains that 27,000 tonnes of asphalt was used to re-seal the 2.3 km long and 45 meters wide runway. Smart explained that Niue’s airport is actually 10 meter’s longer than the Rarotonga Airport runway but it fairly similar in length to other Pacific runways.
“We just asphalted the existing one, there’s no need to widen it or lengthen it. The strength of the runway was good, shape of it was good, it was just getting old,” Smart said.
Smart says it just needed to be renewed otherwise it would have been a problem with planes landing on the surface that it was starting to degrade, it was oxidizing with little cracks, stones were falling off, getting to that stage.
Her Excellency Helen Tunnah says she’s happy the Project is all done as this will benefit the island’s economy.
The project began in 2021 and is expected to be fully completed mid next year. A total of 85 expatriates worked on the Project as well as local crew members. The Airport upgrade Project cost $40 million.
