Brisbane Airport has awarded the Airfields Works contract, putting the construction of its new runway on track to open in 2020.
Skyway, a joint venture (JV) between BMD Construction and CPB Contractors, a member of the CIMIC Group, will complete the works.
Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) CEO and Managing Director, Julieanne Alroe, said, “Given the long history of this project, which had its earliest planning stages in the 1970s, it is a significant milestone to announce today the successful contractor for the largest, final and most expensive package of works to bring Brisbane’s new runway to life.
“That Skyway joint venture partners have a long and storied history with Brisbane Airport, and such strong local pedigree, is particularly pleasing.
“The new runway was the most important piece of aviation infrastructure being built in Queensland and the biggest undertaken by BAC since the airport was privatised in 1997.
“It is a $1.2 to $1.3 billion privately funded investment that, when operational in 2020, will provide unlimited opportunities for the growth of our city, state and, ultimately, our nation.
“To put our investment in this project into context, BAC bought the entire airport for $1.38 billion, almost 20 years ago to the day.
“Over the past two decades, BAC has privately invested more than $3.4 billion in upgrading and expanding this critical piece of public infrastructure, with a great deal of this development geared to increasing capacity and improving the travelling experience for airline passengers.
“Importantly, through privatisation, not one cent of the billions of dollars invested in this critical infrastructure has come from the government purse.”
CIMIC Group Chief Executive Officer, Adolfo Valderas, said, “BMD Constructions and CPB Contractors, as the Skyway JV, have brought together a team of expertise and agility to ensure an efficient and cost-effective works program.
“We are committed to ensuring that the project’s planned operational, social and economic benefits are achieved through innovative and sustainable solutions – and that we deliver a quality asset of long-term value for Brisbane Airport and the people of Queensland.”
While BMD Construction is ‘book-ending’ the new runway’s construction, having been a key contractor in the first phase of the project, Joint Venture partner, CPB Contractors, is book-ending the construction of Brisbane Airport proper.
In the 1980s CPB Contractors was the managing contractor for the construction of the airport, overseeing delivery of the runway, taxiways, the Domestic Terminal and the iconic air traffic control tower, all of which opened in 1988.
Brisbane’s new runway is currently the largest aviation infrastructure project under construction in Australia. It includes a 3,300m long by 60m wide runway, over 12km of taxiways, as well as all necessary airfield infrastructure including navigational aids, lighting, multiple utilities, signage, operational roads, drainage, security fencing, control systems and approx. 300 hectares of airfield landscaping.
BAC’s investment in this final stage of works, including the Airfield Works contract, is worth more than $500 million and will take close to three years to complete. It is an enormous undertaking with the vast majority of large value components being locally sourced.
