Project update: BIAL

Airport will be completed ahead of schedule: Patel
TOI brings you a monthly update on the progress of four major infrastructure projects
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bangalore: The Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) is all set to meet the deadline. Just five months away from the grand opening, all the nine passenger-boarding aerobridges have been completed. Installation of PAPI (Precession Approach Path Indicator) lights at both ends of the runway has been completed.
The commissioning of various equipment and systems, including the 1500 kva diesel generators; transformers and the ring main units; the 11kv electrical loops, the airfield lights (approach lights, edge lights etc) and the chillers in the cooling plant building are complete. Construction and infrastructure advancements at the airport project site are progressing at a gratifying pace. In the baggage handling areas, the electrical and instrumentation works are nearing completion.
In the terminal building, installation of the eight fixed link bridges connecting the terminal building and the apron has been completed. Installation of the glass elevators, escalators, automatic doors for entry and exit into the terminal building is being carried out. At the car park area in front of the terminal building, the final paver block
installations are progressing. At the duty free area, the site hand over to the food and beverage concessionaire was achieved this month. Construction of retail shops is in progress. Installation of the light poles along the main access road and the car park is in progress.
On the airside works front, installation of the approach lights and the flash lights on the east and the west side of the runway are completed and the installation of taxiway lights is in progress. Currently 310 light poles of the total 323 poles have been installed. On the apron area, laying of the final concrete layer is nearing completion.
At the Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower, the aluminium composite panel (ACP) cladding and glass fixing works are nearing completion. The elevator installation works in the ATC tower and the ATC block are nearing completion.
Nav-aid (navigation aid) buildings: At the Radar Tx building, the final finishing and electrical works are in progress. All the other Nav-aid facilities such as the localiser buildings, the DVOR building, the frangible and the non-frangible buildings are completed and are ready for inspection.
Union civil aviation minister Praful Patel, who was in Bangalore recently, maintained that work at BAIL was progressing in full swing and would be completed in March 2008, a month ahead of schedule.