HCMC – Work on the second phase of the HCMC-based Tan Son Nhat Airport’s runway upgrade project resumed yesterday morning, August 25, after 20 days of suspension due to Covid-19.
Tran Binh An, head of the Project Management Office 1 under the My Thuan Project Management Board, said that over 400 engineers and workers have been mobilized to the construction site. They work in shifts and arrangements were made for them to work, eat and sleep at the site in line with the city’s requirements during the social distancing period.
The My Thuan Project Management Board was authorized by the Ministry of Transport to manage the project.
Up to now, the project is over 60% complete. The management unit is making efforts to complete the project and put it into service by the end of this year, An said.
Work on the project had been suspended from August 5 when 27 Covid-19 cases were detected at the construction site. These Covid patients and 76 direct contacts of the confirmed cases had to undergo quarantine and medical treatment. From August 13 to date, the construction site has not reported any fresh case.
The HCMC government on August 24 approved the resumption of the project, after the Ministry of Transport suggested that this project be added to a list of urgent projects in the city. The city has tasked the authorities of Tan Binh District, where the airport is located, and the relevant agencies to monitor compliance with Covid safety protocols at the construction site and facilitate customs clearance procedures for the project’s imported equipment.
The project to upgrade the airport’s runway and taxiways requires VND2.015 trillion in investment, with the construction beginning in July last year, the same time as the runway upgrade project of the Hanoi-based Noi Bai airport.
In the first phase of the project at the Tan Son Nhat airport, the runway 25R measuring over three kilometers in length and nearly 46 meters in width had been renovated, in addition to the construction of some new taxiways, a signaling system, aviation signs and a power station.
As for the second phase, existing taxiways will be upgraded and new taxiways will be built. Besides this, a drainage system will be built and taxiway lights and more aviation signboards will be installed.
