Heathrow Airport's Northern Runway is undergoing a significant resurfacing project, with teams working nightly over a three-month period to replace sections of the tarmac. Each night, 75 metres (246ft) of the runway is resurfaced, a task that Heathrow's infrastructure delivery and strategic planning director, Alistair Awcock, stated is undertaken every 10 to 12 years based on the runway's condition.
The operation, which begins after the last plane departs at 10:45 PM, involves 130 vehicles and 230 specialist workers. They have a five-hour window to complete the work, with the goal of being ready for inspection by 04:30 AM to ensure the runway is safe for the first landing at 06:00 AM. Gawaine Yates, the delivery project manager, noted that the work is carefully planned and practised.
The resurfacing is required due to approximately 10kg (1.5 stone) of plane tyre rubber embedded in the runway surface. The old material is removed and recycled for use in local roads or the construction industry. By the end of the year, the project is expected to have replaced around 200,000 tonnes of asphalt.