Way clear for runway extension

Press, 3 June 1981, Page 6

Way clear for runway extension

A road round the top of the proposed extension to Christchurch Airport’s runway may soon go ahead. This will allow work on the runwav to proceed. A meeting of the Paparua County Council decided last evening to recommend to the Christchurch City Council that the designation for the alignment of .the western end of the new road be confirmed. The alignment of the eastern end of the road has already been decided in an earlier designation. The County Council also imposed several conditions in the designation. Conditions applying to the 1979 designation also applied to this designation and reading standards and intersections had to satisfy the County Council. Access from the new legal road to properties owned by Isaac Construction. Ltd. and the Waimairi County Council would be relocated as sought. But these objectors would have to pay the extra costs. Paparua’s town-planning committee yesterday heard evidence from the city council in support of the proposal for realignment of the new road. There were seven objections to the proposal from local land owners. The committee was told .that delays in lengthening

the runway at Christchurch Airport were pushing up the cost of the proposed extension by $20,000 a week. The director of Christchurch Airport. Mr M. W. Atkinson said that this was because of escalating costs. The runway extensions, which will cost more than $4 million, will cut across part of Harewood Road, making it necessary to build a new road to link Shipleys Road and McArthurs Road, further to the north. Mr Atkinson said that the proposals were the best practical solution for completing the . alignment of Harewood Road and would ensure the safe, efficient, and economic working of the airport. Under the proposed programme for the extensions, tenders for the first stage, the construction of the Harewood Road deviation, would be called in August. It was hoped that work would begin in October and finish in February. 1982. Work on the taxiway should begin in February 1982. But for the work to proceed it was essential that part of Harewood Road be closed and the deviation road finished. The taxiway extension should be ready for sealing in May. 1982.

It was essential that the alignment detail be sorted out ■ now. The entire programme would be delayed if work on the new road, "could not go ahead. Mr Atkinson said. He told the committee that the present runway was 2442 metres long and could handle the largest diversion aircraft. But it was not long enough for a fully laden aircraft to take off. as prescribed by the Civil Aviation Regulations. Christchurch Airport had to be able to handle all aircraft likely to be diverted from Auckland. Auckland had one runway 3291 metres long which was suitable for all known aircraft. As the size of aircraft using Auckland and Christchurch grew, the local airport was “obliged to keep pace." The Government had approved the extension of Christchurch’s main runway to 3658 metres to the northwest. When the runway was extended any aircraft could take off with a full fuel load and fly non-stop to Singapore, 'Argentine, or Hawaii. To ensure the greatest use of the airport for the South Island, and New Zealand as a whole, it was essential to complete the extensions as soon as possible, Mr Atkinson said.