The constructruction of a tunnel under the new runway at the Calgary International Airport is past the half way point and crews have reached a major milestone in the project.
Work began on the 620 metre tunnel in February of 2011 and is expected to cost about $294.8 million upon completion.
The tunnel will extend Airport Trail from Barlow Trail to 36 St. N.E. and crews have been working all summer to widen the road from four to six lanes between Deerfoot and Barlow.
Crews finished pouring the massive tunnel last October and the area under the east perimeter road was handed over to the Calgary Airport Authority on June 30, 2013.
On Wednesday, City of Calgary Transportation General Manager Mac Logan announced that the city has turned over the final section above the tunnel over to the airport authority.
“The city has successfully completed our work and turned over to the airport all of the space above the tunnel, the taxi ways, and the perimeter roads,” said Logan.
The move will allow airport crews to continue construction on the new international runway.
When the contract with the airport was drawn up, there was an emphasis on penalties for construction delays but Logan says those concerns have also been addressed.
"By turning this over today, we have avoided any of the penalties that are involved in that contract," said Logan.
Mechanical and electrical work on the project is ongoing and crews hope to have the majority of the road work done by the end of 2013.
The project should be completed by the spring of 2014.
