Airport News Japan

Underwater Construction on Haneda Runway D Near Completion - “Connecting Section” between Reclaimed Land and Wharf

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Underwater construction site for Runway D at Haneda Airport.

Underwater construction underway for Runway D at Haneda Airport, to open in October 2010, is largely complete, and the “connecting section” between the land reclamation and wharf sections was opened to the press on May 28.

Runway D, the fourth at Haneda, is the heart of the airport’s expansion and internationalization. The 2,500-meter runway is being built over the water and will extend approximately 620 meters from the current seaside edge of the airport into Tokyo Bay. About one-third will be built like a wharf to reduce the environmental impact on the mouth of the Tama River.

The section opened to the press was the inside of the seawall in the area connecting to the wharf section at the south end of the reclaimed section. The bottom will be submerged beneath the water when complete, and the top will be covered by the runway, completely blocking it from view. One feature of the wharf section is the use of so-called “slit pillars” 1.2 meters in diameter and 13 meters tall. The row of pillars will reduce the reverberations from the current of the river, increase the wharf section’s durability and lessen the impact on small ships. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s Tokyo Airport Development Office, the construction effort is scheduled to be completed this August.

The office stated that as of May 14, approximately 65% of overall runway construction has been completed, and that the year-round, 24-7 construction effort will continue through the days and nights.

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