Name and Location
Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport runway construction project, Rodrigues, Mauritius.

Project Description
The government of Mauritius is investigating the possibility of building a longer runway at Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport, located in Plaine Corail, on the 102 m² island of Rodrigues, which lies off Mauritius, in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

Based on a revised master plan, the project proposes to develop a new runway near the existing 3 000-m-long runway to facilitate the landing of larger aircrafts. The runway is planned to be 2 100 m long in the initial stage.

The existing runway will either be used as a taxiway and helipad, and/or kept as a shorter alternative runway in cases of heavy winds and maintenance, besides other things.

The new alignment for the proposed runway has been worked out with a view to reducing the cost of the project by decreasing the earth fill to a minimum and using materials obtained from the earth cuts for other civil works on the island.

Value
The value of the project has not been disclosed.

Duration
Not stated.

Client
The government of Mauritius, represented by the Rodrigues Regional Assembly (RRA).

Key Contracts and Suppliers
World Bank (project funding); Ecorys, Parsons Brinckerhoff and the De Chazal Du Mée/BDO Mauritius partnership (feasibility study).

Latest Developments
In February 2011, RRA reported that it was awaiting final clearance from the World Bank to award the contract for the feasibility study for the construction of the new runway at Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport.

The contract was subsequently awarded in April 2011. The feasibility study, to be carried out over a period of four months, is expected to involve a multidisciplinary team comprising airport planners, engineers, aviation economists and environment experts.

The terms of reference of the feasibility study include a review of the existing institutional and operational situation at the airport, together with an inventory of the existing facilities, traffic forecasts and proposals on the facilities planning and development proposals.

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Ecorys, Robert Piers, email robert.piers@ecorys.com.
RRA Chief Commissioner’s Office, tel +230 832 0276 or email pmattan@mail.gov.mu.