b'34 YYZRUNWAYSPHOTO: KEVIN PRENTICEToronto Pearson Intl Sees Benefits of Runway Rehab Project BY KRISTEN RINDFLEISCHAfter an extensive rehabilitation completed in a singledepressed passenger volume. It was pretty important that we get construction season, the second-busiest runway at Torontothat concrete rehab work completed, recalls Andrew Payter, GTAA Pearson International Airport (YYZ) officially reopened inmanager of Airside Coordination and Airport Operations. We took November 2022. The $80 million projectone of the largest in YYZsadvantage of the pandemic to do it with lower traffic levels.historywas meticulously planned and executed by the GreaterThe $80 million project encompassed about 180,000 square Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) to have minimal impact on travelersmeters (1.9 million square feet) on the runway plus an additional and the surrounding community in Mississauga, ON. 150,000 square meters (1.6 million square feet) of additional Runway 06L-24R needed to be fully repaired because thetaxiways and connectors. Partial funding came from the Airport concrete sub-structure was beyond the end of its service life afterCritical Infrastructure Program, a federal stimulus initiative to help nearly six decades of harsh weather and heavy use. Originallymitigate the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and designed for aircraft such as 747-100s, the 3-kilometer (1.86-mile)ensure critical investments in safety, security and mass transit runway now serves larger, heavier aircraft like the Boeing 777- connectivity.300ER and Airbus A340-600and at much greater volume thanTo execute the rehabilitation of Runway 06L-24R, GTAA when the runway was built in 1963.partnered with Avia NG Airport Consultants for engineering While the last full-width, full-length resurfacing took placedesign, contract administration and site representation; Dufferin in 2007, a single-depth milling and repaving of the critical keelConstruction as the general contractor; and Tristar Electric for section in 2018 allowed the GTAA to delay a full rehab until 2020electrical installation. Avia coordinated with various GTAA teams, or 2021. When that approached, however, the unexpected andincluding Engineering, Compliance, Operations, Maintenance and unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic prompted planners to changeManagement.courses. Initially, they recommended a full-depth mill-and-paveThis runway is more than a marvel of modern engineering, project to extend the runways lifespan another six to eight years;as amazing as it is, said GTAA President and Chief Executive but in summer 2021, they reverted back to the idea of a completeOfficer Deborah Flint in a prepared statement. It paves the way rehabilitation, which included concrete slab replacement within thefor the next 30 years of YYZ stimulating Canadas economy by center 24 meters of the runway. Scheduling the project for 2022facilitating trade, foreign direct investment, tourism and business. allowed crews to first complete critical work on Taxiway H andThis runway is more than a place where planes land and take off; resurface Runway 15L-33R in 2020 while the pandemic severely October 2023AirportImprovement.com'