NI-based Lagan Construction has beaten high profile international rivals to overhaul Guernsey Airport's runway.

Work on the reconstruction of the runway and other key operation systems is estimated to be worth £81m and to take about two years to complete.

The current airfield boundary will also be extended to the west after the local public services selected Lagan as one of the UK's leading airfield construction specialists as its preferred bidder for the essential maintenance and improvements at Guernsey Airport.

Lagan Construction, which has completed more 35 airfield projects worldwide in the past 10 years, was one of four firms invited to tender for the contract last July.

Work on the project, which was approved in 2009, is scheduled to begin this summer and will take around two years to complete.

It includes the reconstruction of the airport's runway and other hard surfaces, and the replacement or refurbishment of the drainage system, airfield lighting and other key operational systems.

Following its appointment as preferred contractor, Lagan Construction has now entered into a three month value engineering phase with Public Services.

This provides an opportunity to investigate potential cost and time savings through the scheduling and detailed planning of the work.

Guernsey's Public Services Minister Deputy Bernard Flouquet said the quality of the tenders received had been very high, and having four firms in the running for the contract had ensured the successful bid was competitively priced.

The tenders were assessed against pre-agreed criteria, including quality of submission, price, and proposed use of local labour. Lagan Construction's bid scored the highest. The States will be asked to approve the contractor and budget later this year, with a planned start date in August.

Subject to successful conclusion of negotiations and final approval by the States, Lagan Construction will be responsible for delivering the project on time and to budget. As main contractor, it will supervise the work of other firms that it will engage to carry out specialist elements of the works.

These include the ground lighting installation, upgrade of navigational aids, and the new drainage system. Once the construction phase begins, work on the runway will primarily be carried out at night, while the airport is closed, and will be reinstated prior to reopening at 6am each morning.

Measures will be in place to minimise disruption from the works at night. This will include best practice procedures on the handling of materials and operation of equipment, and fencing to reduce noise and light impacts.

The reconstruction of the concrete apron areas, where aircraft park while passengers board and disembark, will be carried out in phases. That work will take place during the day, while the airport remains operational.

(CD)