Re-sealing a runway in the Tasman Sea.

[planecrazy]

So over the last three weeks the 3000ft runway on Lord Howe Island has been getting a re-seal,
cost in the vicinity of around 8 million oz $, 6 million of which is getting equipment and materials
to the island. This, as things turn out has been the hardest part of the operation, landing around
10,000 tons of road base.

So a large barge is loaded in Brisbane, this is too big to bring into the lagoon to the airstrip, so
the material is transfered to a smaller barge. This is then brought to a ramp and loaded ashore.
This whole process involves a large sea going tug looking after the large barge, a smaller tug to
bring the smaller barge into the lagoon then an even smaller tug to push this to the airstrips ramp.




Some of the road base and equipment.




So in order for all this to go ahead air service operations have been modified the is a NTAM
(Notice to all airmen) closing the runway from Sunday until Friday, winter is the quiet time
on the island.


Last week they gave the locals permission to go out onto the runway to have a looksie.


Here is one of the joins, of course you cannot have a step in a runway so each Friday morning
they have to lay a ramp so the incoming aeroplanes can get from the old height
to the new smoothly. The second shot the ramp where the barge lands.


It is a requirement that the density of the seal is checked at regular distances hence the bore hole.
The second pic a join within a finished section of the runway.