Airfield project better managed, claims CEO
(CNS): After pointing the finger at the consultants that were selected to design and manage the terminal phase of the airport project, which was over budget and over time, Cayman Islands Airport Authority CEO Albert Anderson has claimed that the now completed airfield side of the project has been much better managed. Nevertheless, the exterior work has increased in costs as a result of the decision to do more work than was originally planned.
After accepting that there were a number of problems on the terminal phase, largely because of the inadequate plans drawn up by the designers and consultants, he recently told the Public Accounts Committee that the runway and airfield project was managed differently and the lessons learned on the terminal were used in this external phase.
The airside infrastructure project at Owen Roberts International Airport was a combination of expansion and safety enhancement. It included strengthening and extending the runway, a parallel taxiway and turnaround, four new plane parking spots as well as a blast fence.
Construction on this part of the overall airport project began in early 2020, and although it was initially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the closure of the airport provided an opportunity for the work to be done more quickly since there were few planes to worry about.
Island Paving and Decco worked alongside Canadian company IDL Projects and design and engineering company Stantec to complete the work. In a recent press release, Leigh Bartlett, Principal with Stantec’s Airports Group, said the work was successfully completed under unusual circumstances.
Anderson said, “Completing the project through the pandemic was not without its challenges, but its success is a testament to the flexibility and commitment of the project team.”
While the airfield works phase of the overall airport project has not yet been reviewed by the auditor general, Anderson recently stated that the final bill for the outside work will be around CI$43 million. Coupled with the final terminal project bill of around CI$74 million, taxpayers can expect to pick up a total tab of in excess of CI$117 million for the project, more than double the original limited enhancement project to the terminal first sold to the public.
Category: Business, development, Local News, Transport
Lets face it.
The bar couldn’t have been much lower.
for that money, they added 500 feet of airport runway.
seriously. what does that actually do?
they should have paved all the way through that cricket field.
and got rid of that road.
Looks great. Now if only it was open to more than repatriation flights. LOL
ORIA improvements are long overdue. Previous Boards sat around and did nothing while Tourism numbers steadily increased. This is our gateway to the world and in normal times, there should always be capital works going on to improve and expand our airports. ORIA has a 20yr master plan that calls for constant improvement, all to be funded from passenger fees. The last sentence of this article is pointless and misleading. It combines to final cost of 2 separate and unrelated projects and compares that total to the base cost of the first project. The facts are that the Terminal renovation and expansion was completed within 3% of the Business case estimate calculated in 2014 and the Airside works will be completed under budget. Well done to all involved.
Classic Cayman folly: lavishing praise for amateur, learn-as-you-fail efforts, and incremental benefits, without any rational regard for costs, alternatives, or foregone opportunities that lost capital might have been used for. When are we going to put adults in charge?
The “lost capital” you speak of is ring fenced for airport development. It is not part of general reserves and cannot be used as such.
I think you mean a previous CEO who was more comfortable handling baggage than being an administrator, and a Chairman who was acting like he was the CEO.
7.18am If you read the last article carefully it seems the final cost of the redevelopment project has not been ratified. In any event, cost aside, nothing excuses the raft of chaotic errors by all involved- does this not concern you?.
To say that “previous Boards sat around and did nothing” is not true. Since the first works in the original CAA Master Plan for ORIA were done between 1995 & 1997 (expanding departure and arrival halls by incorporating the original open “interior beach scene” area and upstairs improvements), various Boards revised the Master Plans in 2000 and a few times thereafter with intentions for re-development. September 2001 caused havoc in the aviation industry, in case you don’t recall, and ORIA’s plans were not immune. As a result, long term development plans were temporarily set aside to address mandatory international security requirements. 2002 -2003 saw major security upgrades and alterations to accommodate same. This served as an impetus for the Board of the day to review the existing Master Plan with a view of pursuing terminal re-development. Then in 2004 Hurricane Ivan (remember that little event?) forced repairs of ORIA with subsequent alterations and systems to accommodate the greater need for terminal space and processes. This served as a stop-gap until 2007 when the Master Plan was again approached. Then….wait for it….the world recession of 2007/2008. Guess what that did to ORIA’s expansion plans? Hm?
So, when the world came out of that recession somewhere around 2011/12 the Boards of the day resumed re-development plans and the impetus carried on through successive Boards and Governments until the Islands now have the result. For what it’s worth! I agree with your congrats to all involved but that includes all involved, especially intimately, since the mid-1990’s. Sorry, but you needed schooling for your “previous Boards” comment.
Orange and white barrier was put up to hide the mistakes made in the project, just so we are not reminded when we look over at it when we pass. I agree, no one never is at fault for mistakes over budgets or lack of experience. THAT’S HOW GOVERMENT IS RUN.
The so called orange & white barrier is a “blast wall” – that is a pretty feature at airports that are in urban areas.
… pretty common feature…
Replacing the two red lights that were there would have been cheaper still.
2.23pm Well Mr Anderson did finally discover the runway could be upgraded at night after his 11 week closure debacle. He totally “overlooked” mentioning this in his latest comments.
Come on people now let’s speak the truth here, what else did you expect, Government places people of their Party in positions they are ill equipped for and this is the end result.
For years there has been a slew of government projects going over budget nothing new ( Meeow) here and in all cases mis management of the projects ocurred. The people put in place as CEOS were /are good citizens put in an over their head situation with zpoliticians behind them who were/ are even way way over their heads and sll they know is to finish the project and screw what the people have to say, they will soon forget attitude.
Will this Nancy story ever end ? If we keep on doing the same thing in the same fashion with the same people every time you will always get the same results.
Have the people of these Idlanfsginslly understood this ? Ona get it ?
And road works should be done then too but this is the land of incompetence.
No kidding, and how about cleaning them?
Anonymous 1:29 is dead on – this project was only a fraction of the complexity of the renovation of a busy, working public facility. It was built on empty land largely during a shutdown of the airport. There should have been a lot fewer changes and management of it easy as pie. Comparisons relating to the consulting and management approach is misleading and unfair to the terminal team. If there are problems after the fact with the apron, it will interesting to see whether or not these geniuses carried out all required testing.
Another hundred million dollar boondoggle for Ezzard to ratify as the PAC enabling, limited-scope, career cross-examiner. Nothing to see here…good boy Ezzard, good boy! They are all cut from the same cloth. No son-of-the-soil ever gets fired, sanctioned, charged, or in any way discouraged from doing it again, and again, and again, and again…
As the local famous defense goes, it’s a cultural thing.
just need to beautify the area around the barriers with shrubs etc.
so unsightly.
I suspect they are painted hi vis red and white stripes on both sides for a safety/regulatory reason. Concealing that behind bushes would rather defeat the point. Now putting up some vegetation around the dump to replace the trees they tore down recently that at least screened it from the ETH, thats a different story.
a small pond with some reeds to attract frogs for the Egrets would have been nice.
Birds and jet engines don’t play well together
In the world of 5:52pm they seem to do.
What a nutter.
10.12pm and 9.48am It seems that sarcasm and “tongue in cheek” are beyond the comprehension of a certain sector of our population.Do you really think he was serious??.
Lolz.
well done for putting down some asphalt.
world class for our civil service!….zzzzzzzzzzz
1: 29. I know it might hurt but please engage brain. The Airports Authority is not part of our world class civil service. The word Authority is a dead give away.
The Authorities are run by private sector boards.
Why is this so difficult to understand.
On the appearance, yes! But in reality?
they are paid for by government and are government agencies…hence civil service.
their general incometence and failures is proof.
Closed on Tuesday’s anyone? More self-serving questionable claims coming from the CIAA methinks.
Ridiculous
Certainly happy they finally brought in the Canadian engineering firm Stantec, who have worked extensively on airport projects in the Caribbean and Canada.
And discovered that only Canadian stone can support British airplanes, right?
More likely discovered that Canadian stone was the lowest price even with shipping.
As well as having the required impact/compressive strength.
Are you sure that the Canadian stone was actually used?
2:23, Did they actually use Canadian stone?
Cluster****?