A team formed of contractor BAM and technical adviser Ramboll has resurfaced the runway at the British Antarctic Survey’s Rothera Research Station, enabling planes to land at there for the first time in 30 years.
There will also be a turning pad for aircraft, as well as improvements to lighting and drainage. This work will complete the construction season” at the base.
The team arrived at the site in November, and eight employees are staying through the polar winter, facing 24-hour darkness and harsh weather.
The team has also progressed work on the station’s Discovery Building, due to be completed in 2025.
The 90m by 30m facility will contain offices, a medical centre, plant room and storage areas. Glass has been fitted to all windows and solar panels installed, which will help power the whole station. Energy-efficient heating systems have been installed in four other buildings.
Huw Jones, BAM’s executive director, said: “Upgrading the runway to ensure access to Antarctica for the international science community in one of the world’s harshest and most remote locations is an incredibly complex operation.”
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