The 30-tonne scrapers can carry a 30-tonne load. Photo: ESC.
It’s go, go, go during the first week of works to upgrades the Moruya Airport runway.
Eurobodalla Shire Council says staff and sub-contractors are working seven days a week to ensure runway improvements are finished as quickly as possible.
Council’s construction coordinator Greg Knight says good progress has been made since the project started last Thursday (February 14).
“Make no mistake, this is major undertaking which has been months in the planning,” Mr Knight says.
“It’s been a smooth start to a very exciting project.
“We dug up the entire pavement on the first day of work.”
More than 50 machines are part of the worksites army of resources with large trucks called scrapers doing most of the heavy lifting.
“A scraper weighs 30 tonnes and carries 30 tonnes,” Mr Knight says.
“We’ve got a 20,000-tonne pile of gravel. Once the scrapers get to work, they’ll be shifting four to five thousand tonnes onto the runway each day.”
The runway upgrade is a part of a $9.6 million redevelopment of the airport precinct funded by Council and the NSW and Commonwealth governments.
The full redevelopment includes:
- Improvements to the airport terminal;
- Improved road access;
- Provision of three-phase power;
- Water and sewer infrastructure to support expanded business and tourism opportunities;
- Runway surface and lighting upgrades;
- Improved passenger and aircraft parking facilities;
- Additional aviation hangars.
The airport is scheduled to reopen on Thursday, March 7. Airport businesses have been consulted and all Rex Airlines flights have been cancelled until March 6.
“The beauty of working within the airport boundary is the lack of traffic; things go quicker,” Mr Knight says.
“Imagine if the scrapers were out on George Bass Drive, with all the delays of stop and go traffic control.”
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