The resurfacing of the main runway of the Chennai Airport is likely to be completed next month. The work on this has been underway for nearly none months. The runway is being repaired as it gets slippery due to rubber deposits from the aircraft tyres over a period of time. The work is being done at a cost of Rs. 40 crore.
An official at the Chennai Airport said, The work is progressing as per schedule. It will be over before the end of next month. The resurfacing is being carried out in three phases. Phase III has been on for more than a month now. The resurfacing of the main runway -that is about 12,000 feet long - is done from 10.30 a.m. to 6 p.m. During this time, the secondary runway of the airport is put to use. This work had been pending for a few years. We decided to begin it last year because the secondary runway was available for operations. The regular maintenance of the main runway is done every Tuesday and Saturday during which time it is closed and the secondary runway is utilised. Full-fledged resurfacing work has been taken up at the airport after a decade.