Birmingham Airport contractors selected for road improvement and runway extension
A £65 million project to improve the roads around Birmingham Airport was unveiled today, laying the ground for a runway extension. It was announced today that contractors VolkerFitzpatrick and Colas have been jointly appointed for both the A45 Transport Corridor Improvement and the runway extension. Work will start on the £32m road scheme in July, and it is expected to be completed by next summer, with work on the runway extension starting in June 2013. The £33m runway project is expected to be in operation by the spring of 2014.
Birmingham Airport in £65m plan to allow expansion
19th March 2012 (Birmingham Express & Star)
A £65 million project to improve the roads around Birmingham Airport was unveiled today, laying the ground for a runway extension.
The scheme will open up direct flights from the West Midlands to the West Coast of America and to China.
It was announced today that contractors VolkerFitzpatrick and Colas have been jointly appointed for both the A45 Transport Corridor Improvement and the runway extension.
Work will start on the £32m road scheme in July, and it is expected to be completed by next summer, with work on the runway extension starting in June 2013.
The £33m runway project is expected to be in operation by the spring of 2014.
By extending the runway by 405 metres, to 3,000 metres, it will allow planes to travel longer distances and provide direct links to the Far East and West Coast of the United States for the first time.
In addition, the airport is investing £13m in a new air traffic control tower and radar system, which will be operational in 2013, and £9m in a resurfacing of the runway.
John Morris, head of industry and government affairs for Birmingham Airport, said: “By meeting local demand, the airport will reduce unnecessary long-distance surface journeys to other UK airports and generate sustainable long-term economic growth inside its own local area.”
The A45 Transport Corridor Improvement Scheme will improve the A45 Coventry Road between Damson Parkway and M42 Junction 6. It is intended to reduce congestion, improve safety and accessibility.
http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2012/03/19/birmingham-airport-in-65m-plan-to-allow-expansion/
More news about Birmingham Airport at Birmingham Airport – News
Some earlier stories on this:
Birmingham Airport runway extension gets final green light
February 29, 2012 The final obstacle to Birmingham Airport’s runway extension project has been removed as shareholders gave the go-ahead to the £65m scheme. The 400 metre extension will give the airport the ability to offer long-haul flights to Asia and the US west coast. A long-awaited shareholders’ meeting signed off the airport’s business case for the scheme. Birmingham hopes to fly to business and leisure destinations such as China, South Africa and the west coast of America directly once its runway extension is built. The government has said it will contribute £15.7m from the Regional Growth Fund towards the cost of diverting the A45 to make way for the runway extension. Regional passenger body Centro will contribute £10m towards the work. Click here to view full story…
Work on Birmingham Airport’s long-awaited runway extension may start in summer
January 30, 2012 £100 million contract to build Birmingham Airport’s long-awaited runway extension and carry out major improvements to the A45 is expected to be approved within weeks. The airport and Birmingham City Council have shortlisted 4 construction companies for the work. The successful bidder is likely to be announced by March, with work likely to begin in the summer. The project claims it will bring jobs, boost the regional economy etc etc but has proved controversial with environmental groups including Friends of the Earth questioning the value of increasing the number of flights. FoE has been critical of the funding arrangements, with £26 million towards the £32 million cost of diverting the A45 coming from the public purse. Work to the A45 and the runway extension is expected to be completed by 2014. Click here to view full story…
Birmingham business leaders jubilant on HS2 – but rail link does not go to the airport
January 10, 2012 Birmingham believes it will benefit from the HS2 link. However, the rail link will not go to the airport, or even to the main rail station but under the plans, a new station will be built in Curzon Street, which is about a 15-minute walk from New Street Station. This is the so called interchange station which is on the other side of the M42 and will be linked to the airport and international station by a people mover of which we know little else but it could be a futuristic monorail or something similar … Birmingham Friends of the Earth want money spent on transport within the city – what is the point in a super-fast link to London if it takes an hour to reach the station, across the suburbs? Click here to view full story…
Birmingham airport aspiration to be a major air transport hub
17th May 2011 Birmingham airport is being promoted as the solution to capacity constraints as the government seeks to rebuff criticism that it lacks a coherent aviation policy. There is pressure to build more airport capacity in the south although there is enough already. Philip Hammond was present at the opening of the latest phase of the £100m redevelopment of the airport, and said Birmingham would become an even more important part of the UK national airport infrastructure. Click here to view full story…
Birmingham Airport runway extension expected to be ready by 2014
20th April 2011 The airport agreed this week, when its board met, to go out to tender for its runway extension and is confident the £65 million project will be started in 2012 and completed by the end of 2014. It hopes to then be able to offer non-stop flights to China, India and the west coast of America. Chris Crean, from West Midlands FoE said the airport is only going to pay a paltry £7 million and should pay more. ”The only reason the A45 needs realigning is to enable the runway extension to proceed.” Click here to view full story…
Key meeting over Birmingham Airport runway now the A45 money is secured
13th April 2011 Now that the Government’s Regional Growth Fund has allocated £15.7 million for upgrading the A45, in order for the runway extension to go ahead, there will be a meeting to decide on next moves. The airport will pay around £7 million itself. There is the wild claim that the project “promises to create up to 3,400 new jobs and deliver a £631 million boost to the local economy.” From previous experience elsewhere, this figure is wildly over optimistic. Click here to view full story…
More State aid for under-taxed aviation industry as Birmingham Airport to benefit from £15.7 million for A45 upgrading
12th April 2011 Just 1 in 10 of the bids to the government’s flagship regional growth fund have been approved – 50 in total. One is on behalf of Birmingham City Council. It is for £15.7 million towards upgrading the A45 around Birmingham Airport, “bringing hopes of an enlarged runway closer to being realised.” FoE said this shows “the hand of the Government and with its financial support of the aviation sector how it can claim to be the Greenest Government ever is beyond us.” Click here to view full story…