TIRUCHY: With the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) granting approval to construct a boundary wall around the land acquired for expanding the runway of the Tiruchy international airport, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) will soon float a tender calling for bidders for the project.
According to officials, around 96 per cent of the 512.5 acres land required for the runway expansion has been handed over by the revenue department. A canal passes through the proposed runway area, which required an NOC from the WRD.
The Water Resources Department (WRD) has issued the NOC, enabling officials to begin the process, airport sources said. “The BCAS has given its approval to commence the construction of the boundary wall to secure the land. We will float the tender within a week.
The construction is expected to take two to three months. The wall will be about 9.6 km long and will be built at an estimated cost of Rs 25 crore,” airport director SS Raju told TNIE on Thursday. “Of the 512.5 acres required, only about 20 acres are yet to be acquired.
Since part of this land is siutated on water bodies, a no objection certificate had to obtained from the water resources department. That process is now complete, clearing the decks for construction,” he added.
As per the plan, a box-type culvert will be constructed to allow water to flow beneath the runway. Soil tests for the culvert have been completed with the support of NIT-Tiruchy, and the structure will be designed to withstand the load of aircraft and airport operations, officials added.