COLAS LIMITED

Colas ltd completed works to extend the airport’s runway. Colas’ airports team extended the runway pavement by 450m, including 405m of operational runway. This took the runways operational length to 3,003m. The extra runway allows aircraft to take off from Birmingham Airport with more fuel and fly directly to destinations previously out of reach, such as China, South America, South Africa and the west coast of the USA.
As a prelude to the airport runway project, one of the most significant economic developments ever undertaken in the Birmingham area, Colas created a 2km section of dual carriageway to divert the A45. The A45 is the airport’s main access road which is located south of the runway, outside of the airport boundary. The diversion of the A45 created the space needed to extend the runway.
The A45 works and the runway extension project were run as one construction contract to generate savings that made both projects more cost efficient.