Access Engineering hands over completed projects at Mattala International Airport

Access Engineering PLC, the leading infrastructure development solutions provider in Sri Lanka, played an important role in infrastructure development work carried out at the Mattala International Airport, which was entrusted by the main contractor, China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd.

The successful completion and timely delivery of this national project was performed by utilising state-of-the-art technology and equipment in compliance to the most stringent quality and safety standards.

Access road to the Mattala International Airport	Cargo building

Funded by the Government of the People’s Republic of China, the construction of the Hambantota International Airport in Mattala is one of the country’s most exhilarating infrastructure projects which began in 2009 and when fully operational, will be Sri Lanka’s second international airport after the Bandaranaike International Airport. The new airport is expected to be a catalyst for the country’s economic development by enabling international trade, tourism, employment, etc.

Access Engineering was entrusted with the construction of the cargo and fire rescue buildings, design and construction of the airport access road, supply and laying of external and internal water supply mains, construction of a water tower and the construction of an aviation fuel hydrant system under the major infrastructure development of the Hambantota International Airport. The combined value of these projects amounts to over Rs. 2 billion.

Along with the main contractor China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd., Access Engineering was given the responsibility of designing and constructing the access road to the Hambantota International Airport by Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Ltd. The 2.5 km, four-lane road consists of a two m wide central median, 3.2 m wide carriageways and 1.1m wide walkways on either side. The road followed a completely new trace which stretches through marshy areas that frequently remain flooded during rainy seasons. The designers from Access Engineering took up the challenge to provide a robust and economical solution to overcome this issue.

Access Engineering implemented many value engineering solutions to reduce costs and improve the quality of the cargo and fire rescue buildings which were completed on time complying with the highest quality standards of a modern day airport.

“Expertise of our support services was utilised extensively and we even forayed into mechanical installation work such as the long span roofing structure, in-house. We acquired and developed the expertise and specialised knowledge that is required to excel in this fiercely competitive sector of building construction by gearing up to meet the challenges and the changes in the economic climate that would open up many opportunities in the future,” said Nihal Jayathilaka, Senior Project Manager of Access Engineering.

The most noteworthy challenge Access Engineering took on is the construction of the aviation fuel hydrant system. After re-evaluating predictions of air traffic and quality of services, Airport and Aviation Services Ltd. (Sri Lanka), along with the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, was compelled to introduce an aviation fuel hydrant system in the apron area of the airport.

Fire and rescue building

This development in the halfway stage of the project and many other construction works were in critical and crucial stages. This new introduction became a dilemma for Airport Aviation Services since it would cause huge delays to the completion of the apron area of the airport and its timely completion was also under threat.

However, Access Engineering together with China Harbour Engineering provided innovative solutions to overcome these obstacles by constructing the aviation fuel hydrant system without affecting the completion date. The Mattala fuel hydrant project was unique as it used sophisticated and modern technology while strict quality standards and control measures were implemented throughout.

As a major player in infrastructure development across Sri Lanka, Access Engineering takes pride to be associated with some of the most significant projects in the country, which yet again proves that the company continues to be the partner of choice in value engineering.