In 2000, Miami-Dade Aviation Department received FAA approval and a more than $80-million commitment towards construction of a new fourth runway at Miami International Airport. Designed by the URS Greiner company, planning had begun in 1994, after discussions with nearby residents and community leaders addressed and allayed their concerns.
Groundbreaking held April 20, 2001, marked the first completely new runway project for MIA since September 1987. Adding a new runway to a major airport is a milestone accomplishment. Only six runways have opened in such facilities during the previous 10 years. This historic event, a welcome venture after several seasons of less than favorable news stories regarding MIA — [delays in other parts of the airport expansion, questionable efforts by some county commissioners to influence airport staff] — was observed by Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas, along with federal, state, local officials and community leaders.
Under the direction of contractor Gilbert Southern out of Sunrise, FL, a unit of Peter Kiewit Sons’ of Omaha, NE, the $110-million runway is being built with a 24-in. (61 cm) thick lime rock bed, covered by 5 in. (12.7 cm) of asphalt. Twice as thick as the average road, it will handle 747’s weighing as much as 840,000 lbs.
The program includes not only construction of the runway, but also an interior service road, associated parallel taxiways, an airfield security gate, navigational systems and aprons for aircraft parking. The scheduled completion date is May 15, 2003.
Rick Cummings, area manager of Gilbert Southern said he is pleased with the way the project is progressing. “Everything is going well. Right now we’re approximately 35-percent complete. We have close to 140 employees on site. The entire project is being constructed in stages, and some of the work areas have already been completed and turned over to the airport for their use. The work force is active close to 24 hours per day, sometimes seven days a week. Sometimes the extra day is needed in order to avoid interference with operation of another runway,” he explained.
“Currently we’re engaged in excavation, drainage, limerock and construction of concrete aprons. We have many pieces of heavy equipment on site; backhoes, graders, dozers and more. Gilbert Southern prides itself on the ability to adapt to the demands of any challenge,” he added.
Construction at the northwestern end of the airport has had a smooth liftoff. Set 800 ft. (244 m) north and parallel to existing Runway 9L/27R, it will be a full 8,600 ft. (2,621 m) long. It will increase MIA’s airfield capacity by approximately 25 percent — extending the airport’s accommodation for growth for a decade or more, while decreasing flight delays that average 20 minutes per flight, and their attendant costs.
Existing concrete was first torn up and crushed on-site for reuse as bedding for drainage pipes and to build up embankments. Concrete pieces that can’t be processed through the crusher are trucked away for disposal. Existing asphalt was taken away for recycling. However, under Federal Aviation Regulations, it cannot be used on this project.
Approximately 50 vehicles travel in and out of the construction area each hour. Activities include hundreds of loads of limerock per night, concrete paving with more than 12 loads per hour nightly, asphalt paving with up to eight loads, and milling existing asphalt with up to eight loads per hour.
Aviation Director Angela Gittens said she is pleased with the progress of Runway 4. “It will be a welcome addition to the MIA facility, reducing congestion and delays at peak times. It will be used during the day, primarily for landings, when planes are powering down, rather than up for takeoffs.”
Despite the high volume of construction taking place, the work is being accomplished without inconveniencing nearby leaseholders or impacting airport procedures.
Miami-Dade County and Airport officials hail the economic benefits, built on international trade and tourism, that this expansion will bring to the international community of South Florida. Maintaining and enhancing the reputation as the leading passenger and freight airport for Latin America, Miami International Airport is constructing a “bigger, stronger, faster” and safer facility.
