Gulf Construction Online - Airport contract to be awarded

Regional News

Airport contract to be awarded

01 January 2003

The contract for construction of the new air traffic control tower at Bahrain International Airport is to be awarded shortly. Six companies have submitted bids.

The Works and Housing Ministry's special projects department, under the construction projects directorate, is responsible for the contract administration and project management. The design work was carried out by the local Ahmed Abubaker Janahi Architects. The project is expected to be completed in a year.

The airport presently has one runway. In order not to disrupt airline operations in the event of major works on the runway, the existing parallel taxiway will be upgraded as a runway to accommodate emergency, nonscheduled landing and take-off operations.

A BD7.8 million ($20.68 million) contract was awarded to Haji Hassan Group last year for upgrading the runway facilities at the airport. The work is due for completion in November.

The new air traffic control tower and the taxiway redevelopment form part of the initial phase in the planned upgrade of the airport's infrastructure. The scope of works include:

* Construction of a 2.5 km long, 45 m wide asphalt surface emergency runway through upgrading of the existing taxiway;

* Construction of a new taxiway link to the main apron;

* Construction of a new drainage network;

* Installation of aviation fuel lines;

* Construction of an executive jet apron and a cargo apron providing seven bays to accommodate Boeing 737, 747 and Airbus 320 aircraft;

* Installation of a new airfield ground lighting system; and

* Resurfacing of the remaining existing taxiways and upgrading of other existing airfield services.

The new airfield ground lighting, installed as part of the upgrade, allows aircraft to land in the event of poor visibility.