Belfast International Airport has awarded the contract for the resurfacing of its main runway to local construction firm, Whitemountain Quarries.

The project will be carried out between March and May of this year but, as the work will take place overnight, there will be no impact on normal airport activities.

Other work will also be carried out during the contract period including modifications and upgrades to airfield ground lighting, drainage and airfield boundary and stand markings.

Over the period of the work the existing surface along the one and three quarter mile runway will be removed with mechanical planing equipment and resurfaced with specially designed asphalt. The asphalt will be grooved to provide improved surface drainage in addition to enhanced skid resistance.

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Belfast International Airport Managing Director, John Doran, said: "In this our 50th anniversary year, this investment is a clear statement of our commitment to the local economy and the people who use our airport.

"This is one of a significant number of announcements that we intend to make during 2013 – all of them positive, forward-looking and with confidence as their common theme. We have a lot to celebrate, and we intend putting down a big marker that we are a pivotal partner in this wider community.

"I'm delighted to be in the position to say that a local company with all the required technical experience has won this important contract. The runway covers an area of 18 Wembley football pitches and the contractor will use 26,000 tonnes of asphalt, all of which indicates the scale of what’s involved."

(CD)