MUMBAI - March 23, 2010 – As a part of the overall effort to upgrade the cross runway system, Mumbai International Airport Pvt Ltd (MIAL) has completed the reconstruction of the runway intersection at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai. This complex project which required careful planning and clockwork execution, was completed in a period of 22 weeks starting on October 27, 2009 and ending today on March 23, 2010.

The 54,000 sq meters area which constitutes the intersection of the two cross runways 09-27 and 14-32 was completely re-laid using around 24,207 metric tonnes of asphalt that included material such as concrete, bitumen, aggregate etc. A workforce comprising 61 engineers and officials and more than 500 field workers was deployed through the duration of this project. More than 100 light and heavy machines comprising excavators, millers, rollers, trench cutters etc were moved on to the runway intersection every Tuesday to carry out the designated task.

Apart from the runway intersection area, reconstruction work was also carried out at the junction of taxiway E and runway 09-27, in an area measuring around 15,000 sq meters. In addition a duct bank measuring 2860 running meters in length and a conduit running measuring 9390 meters in length were laid at the intersection. The duct bank and conduit will carry the cables for airfield ground lighting. Grading work was also carried out on an area of 32,500 sq meters along the sides of the intersection.

This project necessitated the closure of the full length main runway (09-27) for a period of six hours from 1200 to 1800 hrs. During this period, a shortened runway designated as 27A was put to use to facilitate limited flight operations from 1300 hrs to 1700 hrs every Tuesday. A total of 1353 aircraft movements were carried out on the shortened runway over the 22 Tuesdays.

Commenting on the completion of this project, GV Sanjay Reddy, Managing Director, MIAL: "Upgradation of the runway infrastructure at CSIA is an integral part of the overall transformation of the airport that MIAL is currently undertaking. Reconstruction of the runway intersection was a complex project that required detailed planning and co-ordination amongst various agencies. I would like to thank the DGCA, Airports Authority of India, officials of the Air Traffic Control and the airlines for their fullest co-operation during this period."