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Ramstein begins building new southern runway

USAFE News

Release Date: 8/01/2003

By 2nd Lt. Tracy Giles 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (USAFENS) -- Ramstein will begin a major construction project associated with the Rhein-Main Transition Program next week.

The southern runway, hot cargo pad and connecting taxiways project is a cornerstone of the RMTP and will cost around €60 million to build in four separate phases, said Larry Orlando, 86th Civil Engineer Squadron project manager for RMTP here.

Each phase will last approximately four to six months until the project is scheduled for completion in the summer 2005. Funding will be provided by the partners to the RMTP agreement and NATO.

The project resulted from the combined needs of the Frankfurt International Airport, U.S. Air Forces in Europe and NATO, Orlando said.

“The airport needed to expand to stay competitive, USAFE needed to reduce operating costs and NATO planned to increase strategic airlift capability at Ramstein,” he said.

This led to the RMTP agreement, which focuses on the transfer of Rhein-Main's strategic airlift support capabilities to Ramstein and nearby Spangdahlem air bases resulting in the closure of Rhein-Main Air Base.

A major part of the RMTP agreement at Ramstein is to build a new runway here, said Carol Barker, 86th CES project manager for the southern runway and hot cargo pad.

“As it stands right now, the current runway isn't long enough for a fully loaded, large cargo aircraft to takeoff," Barker said. “This limits the strategic airlift capability, so the new runway is being built to increase the capability and remedy the situation.”

The existing runway will become a taxiway and alternate runway, Barker said. The new runway, currently being used as a taxiway, will become the primary runway.

“This is why we are building the southern runway and hot cargo pad in four separate phases,” she said. “So we can keep the current main runway active and still be able to access our existing facilities.”

According to Barker, to complete the runway project successfully, the entire construction process will involve a lot of coordination with airfield agencies.

“They have to organize the closure of runways and taxiways at certain time periods, provide temporary lighting, put up barricades and notify aircrews of changes,” she said. “We're working with them to reduce risks of foreign object damage from construction debris that is generated and make sure the foreign-national construction workers and the planes taxiing by them are safe.”

After years of preparation, the crews are ready to go to work and transform Ramstein into the new gateway to Europe, said Orlando. In addition to the new runway, hot cargo pad and connecting taxiways, the RMTP agreement involves numerous other associated construction projects.

These projects include expanding the passenger terminal and other new flightline facilities, building a new air-freight terminal and providing other new facilities to replace those that are to be demolished.

Rhein-Main is slated to be closed in December 2005.