Defence Online

RAF Marham runway intersection resurfacing completed

Air October 10, 2017

The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) has completed the resurfacing of the intersection of the two runways at RAF Marham as part of a larger programme of investment.

The work forms part of a £250 million DIO programme, which is part of the major investment by the Ministry of Defence to ready the station for the arrival of the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force’s new F-35 Lightning fast jet aircraft.

The construction process on an active airfield required a ‘no fly’ period of three weeks to be agreed with the station. During this time, DIO’s contractors, a joint venture between Galliford Try and Lagan Construction, had to complete the entire construction of this element of works.

The resurfacing forms the third of nine phases of work on the project, which will also provide hangars for 12 aircraft and an air crew feeding facility.

This phase included removing more than 13,000 tonnes of existing asphalt and installing 23 pits and 1.2km of ducting for aeronautical ground lighting. To resurface the runway, more than 18,000 tonnes of asphalt were laid over an area of nearly 38,000 sq m. To achieve this within the required timescale, the contractors worked in multiple shifts, seven days a week.

Rob Dawson, DIO Lightning Principal Project Manager, said: “This was a crucial part of the works being undertaken by DIO and was a vast amount to complete in such a short space of time.

“It couldn’t have been achieved without the cooperation of the teams from DIO, our contractors, the Galliford Try and Lagan Construction joint venture, our consultants AECOM and RAF Marham. It has been an integrated team effort and fills me with confidence for the hard work ahead of us.”

image © Crown Copyright

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Defence Infrastructure Organisation DIO RAF Marham

Post written by: Matt Brown