New Parallel Runway
Brisbane Airport Corporation has started building a New Parallel Runway. This runway is a critical part of Brisbane Airport Corporation’s multi-billion dollar investment into capacity-building infrastructure.
Located two kilometres west of the existing Main Runway, the NPR will deliver the capacity needed to meet the predicted continued growth in flights in and out of Brisbane. It will also enable the airport to maximise the number of flights that can arrive and depart over Moreton Bay, reducing noise exposure, particularly at night.
The wider NPR project includes construction of a 3,300 metre long runway, more than 12 km of taxiways, navigational aids, airfield infrastructure and hundreds of hectares of airfield landscaping.
Economic benefits of the NPR
The NPR will deliver a regional economic benefit of around $5 billion per year by 2035 including around 2,700 jobs during peak construction and upon completion, around 7,800 jobs for the Brisbane/Moreton region by 2035.
Constructing the NPR
The ground on which Brisbane Airport is built is of poor quality. Given the very soft soil, the new runway site must be loaded with 13 million cubic metres of sand for around four years to pack down the soil to make a strong and stable enough base for a runway. All developed areas within the 2700 hectare airport site, including the terminals and existing runways, have required some form of ground strength improvement prior to construction.
Construction Phases:
- Site preparation (August 2012- mid 2013) - includes clearing, construction of access roads, significant drainage works and modifications to the cross runway system that necessitated its temporary closure.
- Dredging and reclamation works (2013-2018) – includes clearing the remainder of the site, sand extraction from Moreton Bay, piling sand on the site and a four year ground settlement period.
- Construction of the pavements and airfield (2017 - 2020) - includes pushing off the excess sand surcharge, constructing pavements and airfield, then commissioning and commencing operations.
Contact Us
Phone: Information Line 1800 737 075
Email: info@bacnpr.com.au
An artists impression of the New Parallel Runway alignment.
