Infrastructure, Construction & Developments

[Ray Finkle]

There is a matrix sign on the A45 warning of delays between 19th-29th July. I assume the road we be contraflow during this time to complete the link up.

 

[Hassaan]

The latest update:

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF_Cx54Zmaw[/video]

 

[Ray Finkle]

The A45 link up has been put back another week, the road will be down to a contraflow for roughly 10 days from August 5th. Excavation for the parallel taxiway is now very advanced and there is hardcore being put down in the section of the runway the other side of the A45. Hopefully flugsnug will upload a new video update soon.

 

[Hassaan]

So hopefully, it's done by the end of August - and that we get an update from flugsnug soon. Anyone been down there recently, and seen how it's doing?

 

[Ray Finkle]

The bit of runway the other side of the A45 has a layer of hardcore down and the parallel taxiway excavation is well under way. As for the A45:

We will be connecting the new section of the A45 at Birmingham Airport between the 2nd and 12th August 2013. During this period works will be carried out non-stop both day and night, but afterwards traffic will have full access to the new road in both directions. After these dates we still have further works to undertake on the slip roads at the eastern tie-in, but these will be undertaken during night-time closures. We are targeting that all works be completed by mid-September.

The VolkerFitzpatrick Colas Facebook page has regular updates and photographs.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/VolkerFi ... 2045683214

 

[Ray Finkle]

Another great update from flugsnug including a first glimpse of the new bridleway which looks as if the views could be pretty good, might take a wander down over the weekend.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eqwrv5etKEg&feature=player_embedded[/video]

 

[Hassaan]

It looks really really good. As mentioned, a lot of progress done in a small amount of time. It looks like it's not as tight a bend as once thought. Can't wait to see the finished product.

 

[Ray Finkle]

It looks like it's not as tight a bend as once thought. Can't wait to see the finished product.

Drove along it today and it isn't as sharp a bend as it looked, more of a sweeping curve.

 

[Hassaan]

The new road opened yesterday. Looks like they are now getting rid of the old portion of the A45, and working on the runway.

 

[Brum X]

Heathrow T5 in top three most popular airport terminals
53 minutes ago

The terminal was plagued with problems when it opened in March 2008
Heathrow Terminal 5 is one of the most popular airport terminals in the UK, according to a survey.

When it first opened in 2008 passengers using the terminal experienced cancellations and long delays, with thousands of bags going astray.

But in the poll, carried out by Which?, Heathrow T5 came third after Birmingham in second place and Newcastle first.

The survey, based on responses from 11,537 travellers, put Luton Airport last on the list.

Based on a list of categories including speed of check-in, airport security and general facilities, T5 had a score of 66%, with Newcastle getting 69% and Birmingham T1 also having 66% but being placed just ahead of T5 in the Which? table.

In contrast, Heathrow's T4 scored 49%, with Heathrow T3 getting 46% and Heathrow T1 scoring 45% in the large airport list.

The results were based on responses from people who were asked about their experiences flying from a UK airports in the past year.

Which? also produced a small airport satisfaction table which showed generally much higher scores than for the big airports, albeit on much lower sample sizes.

Topping the small airport table for satisfaction was London Southend Airport in Essex with a score of 84%, with Humberside second on 81% and Robin Hood Doncaster Sheffield airport with 78%.

The Southend figures were based on a sample size of just 79, with Humberside based on 32 and Robin Hood on 57. In contrast, the large airport scores were based on sample sizes of more than 1,000 for some of the terminals.

The Which? survey also showed that Stansted airport in Essex had the longest average check-in desk waiting times and Southend the shortest.

Which? said its survey results also showed that online check-ins were "failing to put an end to lengthy queues at our airports with very little difference in the time people waited at check-in desks compared with bag drop desks after checking in online".

Which? executive director Richard Lloyd said: "Our research shows a jumbo jet-sized gap in the performance of UK airports with smaller terminals generally performing better.

"It is clear some of our major airports have some work to do if they are to keep more of their passengers satisfied."
http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-23738103

 

[Ray Finkle]

Credit where credit is due I reckon, what was T1 is definitely a hell of a lot nicer than other airports I've used. Can't comment for Newcastle or LHR T5.

 

[Ray Finkle]

The new preferred flight path option for southerly departures has been put forward.

The preferred new southerly flight path ‘Option 5’ was chosen due to the fact that its centreline avoids the village of Barston and flies mostly over open countryside rather than directly over populated areas. The route is positioned closer to Balsall Street East, but this area is further out from the Airport and aircraft will be higher in this vicinity.

The centreline of the route avoids the most populated areas, including Hampton-in-Arden and Balsall Common and is positioned further away from Catherine-de-Barnes and Knowle. The route also received marginally greater support from stakeholders.

The Airport has also put forward a proposal to the CAA to reduce the noise corridor from 3km to 2km, which would significantly reduce the number of areas potentially at risk of being overflown and minimise the noise impact on local people. This demonstrates the confidence the Airport has in RNAV1 to allow aircraft to fly more on ‘on-track’.

John Morris, the Airport’s Public Affairs Director, said, “We have fully followed the CAA’s guidance throughout this process and have considered all feedback from stakeholders. We believe that the best option has been put forward that impacts the fewest number of people in areas closest to the Airport and now wait for the CAA to make its decision after considering and scrutinising our proposal.”

The full article below has links to pages and pages of proposals, analysis and consultations but, as they say, a picture tells a thousand words, so here we are.



http://www.bhx.com/meta/news/2013/08/ac ... ticle.aspx

 

[Hassaan]

We know the road is done, so how far are they with the runway?

 

[Ray Finkle]

Concrete has started to go down on the section the other side of the old A45, with the old road almost gone now so work on the link section can't be too far off. The parallel taxiway looks to be coming on nicely too.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Excavation of the parallel taxiway.




This is from quite a distance but shows works on the end of the runway extension.

 

[Ray Finkle]

From the consultative committee report.

Runway Extension – The A45 diversion opened to traffic on 29th July, with minor works
continuing. Runway extension works are proceeding with earthworks to bring the site of the
extension up to the same height as the existing runway on the airfield. Construction is due for
completion by mid-December, to be followed by the completion of the runway resurfacing project
due to run from November through to the spring of 2014, when the runway extension project will
be complete.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Below is a link to a picture of an aerial view of the runway works. It shows tarmac going down for the runway extension, the excavation of the parallel taxiway and the now open A45. The new tower, new radar and new Monarch Hangar can also be seen and if you look closely the FedEx MD11 is parked up on the Elmdon Apron.

Click on the picture to make it larger.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k9F47VSzn5w/U ... 08.12B.jpg

 

[Aviador]

That's a smashing picture. It makes you realise how much longer the runway will be. Do you know if there are any plans for some rapid exit links to the parallel taxiway particularly at the North West end.

 

[Ray Finkle]

The Towards 2030 proposal shows another exit from runway 33 which looks to be an extension of taxiway Kilo midway between the old cross runway and taxiway Bravo, it hardly looks 'rapid' though. It's only a draft plan so things could change.

After the runway extension is done I'm hoping the next thing on the agenda is to make the parallel taxiway one long run rather than the dog leg in the middle, I think it would allow greater flexibility in the future when the old Eurohub/T2 is rebuilt or extended.

 

[Aviador]

Thanks Ray I wasn't sure.