US$150M CJIA Expansion on track for December completion

Jan 05, 2017 News

50% of monies already paid out

A section of the runway that was under construction back in July, 2016 with vibrofloation mechanisms in the background. (File Photo)

The US$150M Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) is currently on track for its December 2017 conclusion, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Corporation, Ramesh Ghir, said yesterday.

The project was signed on November 11, 2011 between the Government of Guyana and China Harbour Engineering Company Limited (CHECL). The project is being funded through the EXIM Bank of China which initially announced that it was providing US$138M.
The Government of Guyana procured the services of engineering consultants – the MMM Group and CEMCO Inc. – taking the total cost of the project to US$150M.

The Project commenced on January 16, 2013 and works were expected to last for 32 months making the initial completion date September 16, 2015. However, due to several delays, the date was extended to December 1, 2017.

Thus far, US$75.6 million has been paid to the contractor with US$71.3 million coming from the Export-Import (Exim) Bank and US$4.4 million coming from local funding.

The cost to supervise the project was announced at US$ 5,973,752. The amount paid to date; the CEO revealed, is some US$4 million.

The runway

The runway extension – one component of the project – during the initial design, had catered for one end of the runway to be extended. However; this design was amended after the contractor encountered difficulties with the terrain. It was decided that both ends of the runway be extended by 710 metres to the north-east and 840 meters to the south-west. The initial measurement of the runway was 2270 metres (m).

Ghir reported that at the end of 2016, more than half of the total runway works were completed and the component is scheduled to be fully completed by June of this year.

Meanwhile, excavation works, and foundation treatment were fully completed with the sand backfilling process currently at 78.5 percent.

Terminal buildings

The construction of the new Arrivals Terminal Building was revealed in July this year following a visit to the CJIA by the Public Infrastructure Minister, David Patterson and his team from the Ministry.

Works on the foundation of this building is 80 percent complete and the building is scheduled to be fully completed by May this year.

The existing terminal building will be renovated to accommodate departures only. This process is set to commence next month Ghir said and will be completed by December.

The construction of a new diesel generator room; construction of a new fire pump station; the implementation of a new boarding corridor with boarding bridges were also a part of the project.

Thus far, civil works to the new generator and fire pump station is 65 percent complete with the completion date slated for March, Ghir said.

At the end of last year also, Ghir stated that Chinese labour stood at 151 and Guyanese labour, 271. It is projected that over 500 Guyanese nationals will be employed before completion of the project.

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