The £2.2 billion project to add a second runway to London Gatwick Airport is to go ahead, having received official approval from the Transport Ministry. The project will see the existing Northern Runway being relocated 12m to maintain safety requirements. The North and South terminals for the airport will also be upgraded as part of the project to help modernise operations and boost capacity.
The new runway uses the existing taxiway, which is also used for emergency purposes. The project is due for completion by 2029 and will boost aircraft capacity from 280,000/year at present to 390,000/year when the work is complete. Passenger numbers could also be doubled to 80 million/year.
No information is available as yet as to the type of construction that will be utilised for the runway, although it is likely to feature a high-quality asphalt surface and possibly with a reinforced concrete structure underneath. The dates for the tender process have yet to be announced but the project will provide much-needed work for the specialist contractors able to carry out the work.
Gatwick Airport has one of the busiest runways of any airport in the world at present and the new runway has been planned for some time. The project has been the topic of much discussion and has faced strong opposition on environmental grounds and from local groups.
Meanwhile, London’s Heathrow Airport looks set to benefit from a £49 billion revamp, with the funding being provided by private sources. Building the third runway for the airport is expected to cost £21 billion and will require the demolition of homes and a new tunnel section to carry a stretch of the busy M25 motorway. As with the project for Gatwick Airport, no specific details have been yet released about the design and construction for the third runway although this is also likely to feature an asphalt surface with a reinforced concrete structure underneath.
A further £12 billion will be spent on upgrading the terminals while £15 billion will be used to improve general infrastructure for the airport. This project has proven highly controversial, again facing considerable opposition from environmentalists and local residents.
