AS EXPANSION works at the Cheddi Jagan International airport (CJIA) enter its final lap, the travelling public may experience periods of inconvenience as works increase in the lead-up to the December 2017 deadline.

To date, the project is 62 per cent completed and the Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MPI), the contractor China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) and the project consultants MM/CEMCO are optimistic that it will be finished before the December deadline.

At the same time, the government may seek additional budgetary support for the project since the 2017 sums budgeted through the National Assembly for the project is almost exhausted.

On Friday, Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, led a team of officials, including Junior Minister Annette Ferguson, Minister of Public Telecommunications, Cathy Hughes and senior officials of the airport, as well as the contractor.

Patterson told the media during a briefing that the project is ahead of schedule.
As regards additional funding, through the financial process with the China Exim Bank, which is funding the project, invoices will be dispatched to the bank via the Ministry of Finance.

The bank will then release additional funds as the project progresses.
“So we are on track,” Patterson said, noting that there are some challenges which the project faces, the most pressing being the weather.

RAINY SEASON
As the May/June rains have begun, he noted that the Hydromet Office has forecasted the patterns may be more intense than normal.

Permanent Secretary within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Geoffrey Vaughn, told reporters that a total sum of US$79M has been expended to date on the project. This is 57.2 per cent of the total US$138M contract sum.

During a presentation, Vaughn said the extension of the north eastern end of the runway and the south western end are 80 per cent and 60 per cent complete respectively.

He said that works on the terminal buildings are moving ahead and these include the new arrivals terminal (30 per cent complete), renovation of the existing terminal (10 per cent complete), a new diesel generator room (45 per cent complete) and a new fire pump station with tanks which is 60 per cent complete.
He said the relocation of key facilities at the airport has been completed in most instances.

During the tour members of the media visited both ends of the runway which are being expanded. At the north eastern end of the runway, which is being expanded by 710 metres, compaction works are almost complete.

The pavement is expected to be connected to the existing end of the runway, named Runway 24, in the coming weeks. The south western end of the runway, named Runway 06 and which is used primarily for arrivals, is being expanded by 810 metres.

Meanwhile, questions were asked regarding a new building which is being built by the contractor on the airside of the airport as part of the project. MPI Engineer Carmichael Thorne noted that the building will be used temporarily as the arrival terminal as works progress on the existing facility.

CONVEYOR BELTS
He said two conveyor belts will be installed at the new building while facilities for Customs and Immigration will be relocated there.

Thorne noted that the building is of similar dimensions to the existing arrival lounge and is being built as part of the contract, pointing out that its funding is being borne by CHEC.

At the completion of the project, the operations will then be shifted to the permanent arrival terminal under construction. He said the temporary building will be handed over to the management of the CJIA which will then determine usage of the facility.

Prior to the tour on Friday morning, a contract was signed between Brian Tiwari of BK Quarries, as well as personnel from Toolsie Persaud Limited (TPL) for the supply of stone for the project.

Patterson said there was the issue of stone being procured from a foreign entity for the project and as such there were discussions between the contractor and the two local quarrying entities for the supply of stone.

In the initial phase, BK will supply 50,000 tonnes of stone, while TPL will supply 45,000 tonnes.