Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) has revealed that work has begun to install sheet piles at the land reclaimed for the new runway being developed at Vedanta International Airport.
Sheet piles are being installed at 3,300 metres of land reclaimed for the new runway, according Managing Director of MACL, Adil Moosa. He added that compacting and levelling the reclaimed land was also underway.
After compacting and levelling the land, foundation works will commence. Cement for the foundation layer will initially be laid 270 millimetres thick before being compacted to a 200 millimetre thick layer. It will be covered and levelled with four additional layers of cement. The new 3,400 metre by 60 metre runway is funded by a USD 400 million loan from EXIM Bank of China, with designing and construction handed over to Beijing Urban Construction Group (BUCG).
img:http://s4.psmnews.mv/images/660x400/14607959234003.jpg|Velana International Airport - File Photo: PSM
The runway is being built on land reclaimed from the lagoon of the airport island of Hulhule'. The new runway, which can accommodate world's largest passenger airliner Airbus A380, will be operational by mid-2018. The new runway is part of a USD 800 million mega project to expand and upgrade the main gateway of Maldives to cater at least 7 million passengers per annum. The project also involves building a brand new passenger terminal, a seaplane terminal, and other support facilities including a fuel farm that can store 45 million litres and a 120,000 tonne cargo facility.
The airport is a key infrastructure that supports the multi-billion dollar tourism industry of Maldives. Expansion of the airport is expected to boost tourist arrivals to the island nation as it aims to attract at least two million tourists by 2020.