Ports begins $10M runway upgrades in Arecibo, Mayagüez, Ceiba airports
The Puerto Rico Ports Authority will be making runway improvements at the Arecibo, Ceiba, and Mayagüez airports, representing an investment of $10.2 million, agency Executive Director Anthony Maceira said.
Ports has a pavement inspection program at all airports under its jurisdiction, according to the standards set by the Federal Aviation Administration and the American Society for Testing and Materials.
“The pavement conditions at the Mayagüez and Ceiba airports were evaluated and determined to be in critical condition. For that reason, Ports pushed up the design and bid phases to address these conditions and these works were recently awarded to begin construction in the coming months,” said Maceira.
The projects in Arecibo and Ceiba have 90% participation by the FAA, while Mayagüez has a 95% participation from the federal agency, he said.
In the case of the Arecibo airport, Ports be applying 30,111 square yards of seal coat treatment to preserve the life of the asphalt paving. The project will also include repairing cracks in different areas of the runway.
Other related works include pavement marking, cleaning and disposal of existing markings, among others. The investment in this project amounts to $321,601.
For the José Aponte de la Torre Airport in Ceiba, the work will include pavement rehabilitation of the Bravo taxiway by milling the asphalt cover of the concrete pavement, demolition the pavement, crack repair and resealing of the existing Portland concrete base, leveling, replacing drainage structures, and pavement markings.
This project has an estimated cost of $3.2 million.
In the case of the Eugenio María de Hostos Airport in Mayagüez, the project cost is estimated at $6.8 million to rebuild virtually the entire runway, he said.
This will include the full milling of the existing asphalt pavement surface, fixing the Portland cement foundation, and asphalt paving and marking about 14,926 square yards of runway 9-27.
“The island’s economic development is certainly a priority, which is why we continue to work constantly and closely with different sectors to ensure that the industries that will benefit work efficiently,” Maceira said.
