EXTENDING and repairing Guernsey’s airport runway would cost at least £75m., it emerged yesterday. In a letter to all States members, Public Services minister Bill Bell said a consultant’s draft report indicated that upgrading the existing runway would cost in excess of £50m. To extend it from 1,463 to 1,700 metres would add a figure in the region of £25m.
‘It should be noted that these figures do not include any contingency sum or consultants’ fees and they relate to current-day prices,’ said the letter.
‘No allowance is made for inflation and the cost of any land purchase requirement is also not included.’
After meeting Chief Minister Mike Torode and States chief executive Mike Brown, Deputy Bell said his board was proposing to arrange for consulting engineers to give a presentation of their report to States members.
The draft report has been submitted to the Civil Aviation Authority for assessment and comment and will be completed when a response has been received.
The report, together with Public Services’ recommendations, will then be passed to the Policy Council and Treasury and Resources.
Deputy Bell said members would want to know the cost but the consultant would not be in a position to give final estimates until the CAA had responded.
The draft report covers a range of aspects including replacement of the existing ‘time-expired’ pavement with a new, durable runway, taxiways and apron.
It also looks at replacing the airport’s ground lighting and relocating navigational aids.
Runway end-safety areas would be provided to meet as closely as practicable the current CAA requirements, with mitigation if the full measures cannot be achieved.
The report considers the advantages and disadvantages of switching from the current self-manoeuvring aircraft stands to nose-in/push-back options.
Deputy Bell’s letter does not address how the work might be funded.
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