The Rotorua Southern Runway Extension project involved extending the existing runway by 342m bringing the total runway length to 2,112m.  The overall construction value came to $12.1M. 

Stage 1 works were carried out between October 2008 to July 2009 where I was involved with the night works construction. Following that, I took over as the Site Engineer/Construction Manager for the Stage 2 works where construction took place from October 2010 to April 2011.

My role here included full time site supervision, monitoring QA requirements, dealing with technical queries, chairing construction site meetings, coordinating the interests and inputs of stakeholders and sub-consultants, processing payment claims and producing/maintaining the site records and documentation. 

One of the main challenges faced was constructing a large portion of the extension over organic swamp material and controlling artesian spring flows prior to any structural filling.  A key aspect of the project included sourcing much of the fill material from within the airport site boundary through regrading the northern grass runway and utilising this to backfill the material removed from the swamp whilst providing a substantial amount of our required fill quantity.  By reducing the quantity of imported fill, this allowed significant savings in overall project costs, resource use, haulage and emissions, wear on the local road network and interruption to traffic. 

A further key aspect includes improvements to the drainage infrastructure, highlighted by the 2.3m diameter culvert designed to take stream and flood flows under the runway.  This is expected to reduce the likelihood of runway closures due to flooding. 

This extension now enables Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 jet aircraft to perform trans-Tasman services without weight restrictions in most conditions.   It is also envisaged that this will allow Rotorua to further position themselves as the tourism hub for the central plateau and to be more directly accessible to the tourism market. 

Article Contributor:  Wharehuia Dixon