The project involved two components for Birmingham City Council and Birmingham Airport. The first was realigning a section of dual carriageway along the A45 as part of the A45 Corridor Improvements Scheme, and the second was extending Birmingham Airport’s runway by 405m to allow aircraft to fly directly to destinations currently out of reach. These two elements were delivered under a single contract, as the A45 ran past the end of the runway and required realignment to provide room for the runway extension.
A45 Corridor Improvement & Airport Runway Extension
Project Overview
- Realign 2km of the A45.
- Extend Birmingham Airport runway by 405m.
- Earthworks value £1,750,000.00.
- Bulk excavation and deposition of 650,000m³ of material.
- Pavement works and tie-in works.
The purpose of the A45 transport corridor improvement scheme was to reduce congestion and improve safety and accessibility. The construction of the new 2km horseshoe-shaped ‘loop’ road was a major challenge, as the A45 is a key arterial route and closures would have significantly affected the West Midlands. To overcome this, the road was constructed in sections, allowing work to continue in stages without overlap. All ducting and cables were also relocated into a new services corridor running adjacent to the new road and a major watercourse.
After completion of the A45 corridor improvements, the focus switched to extending the runway. As well as the extension, the entire 2.6km runway was resurfaced and numerous other upgrades were made to the airport’s infrastructure.
