Works on the East Kimberley Regional Airport have thrown an innovative asphalt formulation into the spotlight, promising to deliver increased efficiency in the short-term, while also delivering increased robustness and durability in the long-term.

The East Kimberley Regional Airport in Kununurra, Western Australia is an essential link for the local community and visitors alike.

Situated about 3200 kilometres away from the state’s capital of Perth, the facility is heavily relied upon for essential services and deliveries throughout the region.

It’s one of the main reasons why the Shire of Wyndham East Kimberley sought to upgrade the airport’s main and surrounding facilities, to ensure that any potential travel impacts could be reduced and – in the best case, prevented.

Airport Consultancy Group – Construction (ACG) was engaged to deliver initial upgrades, which formed part of the airport’s 10 year master plan. These works focused on upgrading the apron and taxiways, laying the foundation for a second stage of upgrades.

Stage two includes a 550-metre extension to Runway 12/30 extending the length of the runway from 1829 metres to 2370 metres, creating the capacity to accommodate larger jet aircraft.

Such upgrades would ultimately provide significant benefits to consumers, supporting lower airfares, enabling improved aviation services and strengthening the liveability of the region.

ACG was tasked with handling the bulk of the civil scope. This included overall site and civil preparation, drainage works, bulk excavation, and base preparation for the new runway length. ACG also completed the AGL (airfield ground lighting) installation, as well as the road line marking associated with the extension.

COLAS’ role, contracted by ACG, was the asphalt production and paving component of the project, bringing in a mobile asphalt plant and associated technical expertise to deliver the surface.

As part of this, COLAS selected a hybrid binder in the asphalt mix, chosen for its superior performance and durability. This is where SAMI Bitumen Technologies’ I-Brid polymer modified binder presented all the right properties to satisfy the project scope.