Atlantic Runway Repair on Ascension Island
ASCENSION ISLAND, BRITISH OVERSEAS TERRITORY OF SAINT HELENA, ASCENSION AND TRISTAN DA CUNHA / The remote airfield at Ascension Island plays a significant role in air transportation and Air and Space Force missions. It became inactive and needed repair or reconstruction of its 23-year-old distressed condition.
A large design and construction team that included multiple companies outside the OTIE-RS&H JV collaborated for the remote and unique project. Phases of the project included mobilization to accumulate equipment and materials, building a desalination and power plant, surveying, milling and demolition, testing the subgrade, airfield paving, installing updated navigation aids, and completing local road repairs included in the project.
OTIE began this seven-year project in 2016 when Patrick AFB awarded the design, then Construction QA was awarded to the JV in 2020, and the entire project was completed in 2023.
Highlights
- Overcame logistics of moving cargo and people and communication challenges caused by the island’s size (34 square miles) and location. Located in the center of the South Atlantic Ocean about 5,500 miles from Miami, with no local construction market or resources available for the project.
- Supported mobilization, sustainment, and resupply of 9-person on-site staff and USACE-certified materials testing laboratory.
- Multi-nation coordination of the airfield design and construction with UK criteria and standards, requiring a large team and integrated effort.
Services
- Construction Inspection and Oversight
- Redesign Management
- Quality Assurance
Memorable statement of this project.
“This is a logistics project that just happened to build a runway.”
